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Katharine Graham, America’s First Female Fortune 500 CEO

Katharine Graham (1917-2001) took over The Washington Post after her husband’s death and became America’s first female Fortune 500 CEO in 1972. Her interests in journalism were cultivated at an early age. She worked on the school newspaper at the prestigious college-preparatory school, the Madeira School, and during her summers away from the University of Chicago, she worked at The Washington Post, which was owned by her father, Eugene Meyer (1875-1959), who acquired it in 1933. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1938, she worked as a reporter for the San Francisco News and then joined the editorial staff of The Washington Post. Her father passed The Post’s CEO position down to her husband, Philip L. Graham (1915-1963) in 1948, and upon his death, Katharine ascended to power. She brought in skilled journalists to improve the quality of the paper and grew the publishing company’s reputation substantially. Under her leadership, The Post became one of the top newspapers in the country that was a trusted political source for presidents and other leaders around the world. She oversaw its publication during the period in which its coverage of the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. For more than two decades, Katharine built a publishing empire and quickly became the most powerful woman in publishing. She also became a role model for other women leaders in male dominated fields and spoke openly about these issues: ". . .the thing women must do to rise to power is to redefine their femininity. Once power was considered a masculine attribute. In fact, power has no sex."

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Ursula Burns, First African-American Female Fortune 500 CEO

Ursula Burns (born September 20, 1958) became America’s first African-American female CEO in July 2009. She was also the first woman CEO to succeed another woman CEO, Anne Mulcahy. Ursula started her career at Xerox in 1980 as a summer intern and after studying mechanical engineering at NYU and Columbia, she joined Xerox as a permanent employee in 1981. For over three decades, Ursula worked her way up from executive assistant to vice president for global manufacturing to her current position as the CEO at Xerox. Shortly after acquiring her position as CEO, she organized the $6.4 billion purchase of Affiliated Computer Services, the largest acquisition in Xerox history. Today, Xerox is the leader in diversified business process services and document technology business. Forbes has featured Ursula numerous times on their “100 most powerful women in the world” lists and she frequently credits her mother for her achievements, "I learned from my mother that if you have a chance to speak, you should speak. If you have an opinion, you should make it be known."  

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Shonda Rhimes Biography

Screenwriter, Television Producer(1970–)

Shonda Rhimes, born January 13, 1970, in University Park, Illinois, is the first African-American woman to create and executive produce a Top 10 network series—the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. She is also the creator of its spin-off, Private Practice, the political thriller Scandal and the legal whodunit How to Get Away With Murder. Before these series, Rhimes penned such film screenplays as Crossroads and HBO's Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.  She is the youngest of six siblings. Her father is a university administrator and her mother a college professor who earned two doctorates after her children were grown. (Rhimes' mom is supposedly the role model for Grey's Anatomy character Miranda Bailey.) An academic overachiever growing up, Rhimes received her BA from Dartmouth College in English literature and creative writing. After a short stint in advertising, she enrolled in the writing for screen and television program at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, earning her MFA. She excelled there too, earning a writing fellowship.

Rhimes's efforts have garnered much recognition, including several GLAAD Media and NAACP Image Awards for her tackling of important issues in terms of race and sexuality. After the success of Scandal, Rhimes and her production company, ShondaLand, worked on developing the series Lawless for ABC. The show revolves around an attorney who returns to her hometown and is based on the story of trucker-turned-lawyer Wynona Ward, who provides free services to domestic violence victims. 

While that show has yet to make to the small screen, Rhimes had better luck with How to Get Away with Murder. The mystery drama stars Viola Davis as Professor Annalise Keating and joined ABC's lineup for fall 2014. The series has been embraced by critics, continuing into a second season, and the acclaimed Davis won a lead actress Emmy for her role, the first African-American woman to do so.  

Rhimes has said she continues to enjoy penning series like Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. "I really try to make a show that I would want to watch," Rhimes said to shemadeit.org. "If I don't want to watch it…it doesn't go in the show." In autumn 2015 the screenwriter/producer released the book Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person.

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Gloria Allred

Gloria Allred was born on July 3, 1941 - an only child in a working-class home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A. with honors in English from the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her M.A. from New York University and her J.D. ****** laude from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles. She was also awarded an Honorary J.D. from the University Of West Los Angeles School Of Law.

Ms. Allred is a founding partner of the law firm of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg (AM&G). Her firm handles more women's rights cases than any other private firm in the nation and has won hundreds of millions of dollars for victims. Ms. Allred also founded and is currently serving as President of the Women's Equal Rights Legal Defense and Education Fund (WERLDEF).

Allred, Maroko & Goldberg represents victims who have been discriminated against on account of their sex, race, age, physical handicap or sexual orientation. Her firm also represents victims of AIDS discrimination; sexual harassment and wrongful termination. AM&G is also well-known for its work on behalf of victims in civil rights, rape, child sexual abuse and battered women cases.

Over the course of her 40 year legal career, Gloria Allred has won countless honors for her pioneering legal work on behalf of women's rights and rights for minorities.

Ms. Allred has won the President's award from the National Association of Women Lawyers and the President's Award for Outstanding Volunteerism, presented to her in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan at the White House. She has been voted by her peers as one of the best lawyers in America. In January 2014 Gloria received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Trial Lawyers for her trailblazing and pioneering role in combating injustices and winning new rights especially for women and minorities

Gloria Allred is also a three-time Emmy nominee for her commentaries on KABC television in Los Angeles. Her nationally syndicated television show "We the People, with Gloria Allred" was also nominated in 2012 for a Daytime Emmy Award.

Ms. Allred was also selected as one of the most important radio talk show hosts in America by USA Today, and in May, 2001 she received the Judy Jarvis Memorial Award from the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts for her outstanding contributions to talk radio.

Articles by her or about her have appeared in publications such as TIME Magazine, The New York Times, Ms. Magazine, The American Lawyer, The Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Herald Examiner and The London Times. In July 1990, Los Angeles Magazine named her "One of the 30 Most Powerful People in Los Angeles" and in 1994, "One of the 50 Most Interesting People in Los Angeles." TIME Magazine called her "one of the nation's most effective advocates of family rights and feminist causes." In 1986 she received a commendation from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for her "exceptional record of achievement" and a commendation from Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley "for her many outstanding contributions to the justice system."

Ms. Allred is also the only individual in the nation to win the 1986 Public Service Award from the National Association of Federal Investigators.

In 1998, the Los Angeles Business Journal named her "One of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Los Angeles Law". In 2000, The Daily Journal named her "One of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in California".

In 2006 Ms. Allred was honored by her high school as a "Distinguished Daughter" of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, an honor that she received at a ceremony in Philadelphia. Also in 2007 she was presented the "Silver Achievement Award" by the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles, for "distinguishing herself in the community through professional, volunteer and/or philanthropic work resulting in significant change". In addition, in 2009, she was selected by New York University to receive its Distinguished Alumnus Award, which she accepted at their commencement in May 2009.

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Toni Morrison

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1993

Born: 18 February 1931, Lorain, OH, USA

Residence at the time of the award: USA

Prize motivation: "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality"

Field: prose

Language: English

Prize share: 1/1

Life

Toni Morrison was born into a working-class family in Lorain, Ohio in the United States. She read a lot as a child and her father's stories, taken from the African-American tradition, later became an element in her own writing. She has studied and taught English at several universities, including Howard University in Washington D.C. From 1964 she worked as a publishing house editor, and since her debut as an author in 1970, she has also held positions at several universities, including Princeton. Toni Morrison has two children from her marriage to Harold Morrison.

Work

Toni Morrison's works revolve around African-Americans; both their history and their situation in our own time. Her works often depict difficult circumstances and the dark side of humanity, but still convey integrity and redemption. The way she reveals the stories of individual lives conveys insight into, understanding of, and empathy for her characters. Toni Morrison's unique narrative technique has developed with each new work. Among her works are her debut novel, The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved.

[Hippiified]

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@itiswhatitis wrote:

Please  share your thoughts and praises for America's women whether historically speaking or for the good works they continue do for the sake of others.

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The tireless factory workers, the women who took care of our wounded men; the women who created and worked the almshouses; the women who stood up for better pay; the women who took care of theirs and other children.  The women behind many great leaders.  The Wonderful leaders that they are themselves.

Here's to Dame Liz Taylor for being on the forefront of AIDS care 

Here's to Diana Princess of Wales, for Humanitarian work (worldwide)

Here's to Harriet Tubman who continued the Underground Railroad leading women and men out of slavery

Here's to Bella Abzug and Liz Abzug for their tireless work on behalf of women's rights

Here's to Clara Barton, 

Here's to Mary McLeod Bethune

Here's to SoJourner Truth

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Thanks so much.  I'm truly enjoying this thread.  It's still March, so keep the great posts coming everyone.

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@Hippiified, I'm glad you enjoyed it.  Thanks.

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Jeannette Rankin

Rankin, Jeannette, 1880–1973, American pacifist, b. Missoula, Mont. She was active in social work and campaigned for woman suffrage. A Republican, she was the first woman in the United States to serve (1917–19) in Congress and also was (1941–43) a member of the 77th Congress. She voted against the declaration of war on Germany in 1917 and in 1941 cast the only vote in the House against entering the war. A member of various antiwar organizations, she led (1968) the Jeannette Rankin Brigade, a peace group, to Washington to protest the Vietnam War.

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Frances Perkins

Perkins, Frances, 1882–1965, U.S. Secretary of Labor (1933–45), b. Boston. She worked at Hull House, was executive secretary of the New York Consumers' League (1910–12) and of the New York Committee on Safety (1912–17), and directed (1912–13) investigations for the New York state factory commission. She became an authority on industrial hazards and hygiene and began lobbying in Albany for more comprehensive factory laws and for maximum-hour laws for women.

Gov. Alfred E. Smith appointed (1923) her to the New York State Industrial Board, and later she served (1926–29) as its chairman. Gov. Franklin Delano Roosevelt named her (1929) industrial commissioner of New York state to direct the enforcement of factory and labor laws. As President, Roosevelt appointed her U.S. Secretary of Labor—the first appointment of a woman to the U.S. cabinet. Her appointment was bitterly criticized by business, labor, and political leaders. As Secretary of Labor, she promoted adoption of the Social Security Act, advocated higher wages, urged legislation to alleviate industrial strife, and helped standardize state industrial legislation. After she resigned, she served (1946–52) as a member of the U.S. Civil Service Commission. Besides books on labor problems, she wrote The Roosevelt I Knew (1946).

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Shirley Chisholm

Pioneering African-American politician Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) began her professional career as a teacher. She served as director of the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center until the late 1950s, then as an educational consultant for New York City’s Bureau of Child Welfare. In 1968, Chisolm became the first African-American to earn election to Congress, where she worked on the Education and Labor Committee and helped form the Black Caucus. In 1972, she made history again by becoming the first black woman of a major party to run for a presidential nomination. After serving seven terms in the House, Chisholm retired from office to become a teacher and public speaker.

In 1969, Chisholm became the first black congresswoman and began the first of seven terms. After initially being assigned to the House Forestry Committee, she shocked many by demanding reassignment. She was placed on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, eventually graduating to the Education and Labor Committee. She became one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969.

Chisholm became the first African American woman to make a bid to be President of the United States when she ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972. A champion of minority education and employment opportunities throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm was also a vocal opponent of the draft. After leaving Congress in 1983, she taught at Mount Holyoke College and was popular on the lecture circuit.

Chisholm was married to Conrad Chisholm from 1949 to 1977. She wed Arthur Hardwick, Jr. in 1986. She is the author of two books, Unbought and Unbossed (1970) and The Good Fight (1973).