100 MOST FASCINATING BLACK WOMEN OF THE 20th CENTURY

HALLE BERRY

Sultry screen star who has emerged as a major presence n Hollywood. Smart, sexy and fiercely independent, her numerous film incarnations have helped redefine the role of Black women in movies.

JANE M. BOLIN

The first Black woman judge in the United States, she was appointed to the Domestic Relations Court of the City of New York in 1939 by then-Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. She was also the first Black woman to graduate from Yale University Law School.

GWENDOLYN BROOKS

In 1950, this Chicago-based writer became the first Black American to win a Pulitzer Prize. She was cited for her collection of poems, Annie Allen. She has also been a mentor and major influence to a generation of younger writers.

CHARLOTTE HAWKINS BROWN (1883-1961)

Founder of the Palmer Memorial Institute, a private secondary school in Sedalia, N,C., and an influential educator and activist throughout the first half of the 20th century. She also was a founding member of the National Council of Negro Women.

NANNIE HELEN BURROUGHS (1879-1961)

Religious leader, educator and political organizer, she was the founder of the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington, D.C. Her passionate speech at the annual conference of the National Baptist Convention in 1900 led to the formation of the Woman's Convention Auxiliary to the NBC, one of the largest Black women's organizations in America.

DIAHANN CARROLL

Singer and actress whose poise, beauty and talent helped break many barriers. In 1968, she changed the face of television when she became the first Black woman to have her own weekly television series, Julia. She subsequently became the first Black woman to star in a nighttime soap opera when she joined the cast of Dynasty in 1984.

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

A groundbreaking political leader and activist. Voters in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn made her the first Black woman in Congress in 1968. In 1972, she became the first Black person to mount a serious campaign for president.

ELIZABETH CATLETT

Painter and sculptor, often called the dean of Black women artists. She has won numerous awards for her interpretations of the struggles and triumphs of African-Americans.

ALICE COACHMAN

She leaped into the history books at the Olympic Games in 1948 when she became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She placed first in the high jump competition.

JOHNNETTA BETSCH COLE

Educator and anthropologist, she was the first Black woman to assume the presidency of Spelman College, She took the helm of the prestigious women's school in 1987 and during her decade-long reign established new benchmarks for academic excellence and the successful stewardship of a Black institution of higher learning.

BESSIE COLEMAN (1893-1926)

The first Black woman to earn a pilot's license, she learned to fly from top aviators in France, where she earned her international pilot's license. She was killed at age 33 in a flying accident on April 30, 1926.

THE REV. JOHNNIE COLEMAN