California

Meet the Black women making waves in this state—leaders, creators, and changemakers redefining what’s possible.

Lawrence Vonetta McGee (1945-2010) was a trailblazing film and television actress who rose to fame during the Blaxploitation film period.

Michelle J. Howard

Admiral Howard (ret.) was the first black woman to command a U.S. Navy ship. She was the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Four-Star Admiral in the U.S. Navy and the first African American and woman to serve as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations (2014).

Octavia Estelle Butler

Butler (1947-2006) was the the mother of Afrofuturism.

London Breed, Mayor

Breed (1974) was the first Black woman elected Mayor of San Francisco, California.

Camille Billops

Multifaceted - Performa, Opera

Florence Griffith Joyner

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