21 For The 21st Century - African American Women - Brief Article

FROM Africa to America, Sisters have embraced spirit of creativity and survival. Family matriarchs transformed cast-asides from the White man s table into meals that nourished the soul. Black women, along with Black men, gave birth to the many colors of American music from spirituals that were sung in the fields to sassy anthems and heart-tugging ballads that defined rhythm and blues. The Sister teacher, politician and entrepreneur helped to empower our community as Sister writers and artists helped to liberate our minds. The Black woman of the new millennium continues in that tradition.

In the 21st century, Sisters will smash through boundaries and develop new legacies in fields such as architecture, theater, finance, politics, education, law enforcement and medicine. Consider Heather Headley, star of the hit musical Aida, or Stephanie Wilson, an astronaut-in-training, or Mellody Hobson, senior vice president of Ariel Capital Management.

These accomplishments might have been rare even a generation ago, but in the new century, these are just the beginning of innovations and breakthroughs to come.

In the spirit of Sisterhood, EBONY salutes 21 Black women who are emerging leaders for the millennium. Some names and faces will be familiar; others will be new heroines. All are young Sisters, aged 35 and younger, making strides for a better world. The wisdom of the ages says that the strength of a people is measured by its women. That being true, we have much to applaud.

Stephanie D. Wilson

STEPHANIE D. WILSON, 33, is a NASA Astronaut based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Massachusetts native received a bachelor of science degree in engineering science from Harvard University in 1988 and a master of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1992.

Selected by NASA in April 1996, Wilson reported to the Johnson Space Center that August. After completing training and evaluation, the aerospace engineer is qualified for flight as a mission specialist. Currently, Wilson is assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations Branch and is steps closer to achieving her dream of living in space. "I first became interested in space when I was 13 years old," says Wilson, who was married in June to B J McCurdy. "So, my message to young people is to have confidence in your abilities and also have the courage to live your dreams."

Audra McDonald

AUDRA McDONALD first appeared on stage at age 8, and she has been in the spotlight ever since. By the time she was 28, McDonald had won three Tony Awards. She now is starring in the musical Marie Christine, written specifically for her, at Lincoln Center.

McDonald, 29, grew up in Fresno, Calif., surrounded by music. Five aunts performed in the 1970s as the gospel-singing McDonald Sisters. Both grandmothers were piano teachers. Her mother plays piano and sings, and her father, a high school principal, was a music major. She was a "very sensitive, very dramatic, very hyper child," she says, and her parents sought to channel her energy with singing, dancing and acting lessons. After studying at the Juilliard School, McDonald debuted in Carousel at Lincoln Center and won her first Tony Award (1994). She won a second Tony for her role in Master Class (1996), and No. 3 came for her stellar performance in Ragtime (1998). This month her second album, How Glory Goes, will be released. McDonald also has appeared on television, including several PBS productions.

She is inspired by outstanding women such as Lena Horne, Judy Garland and Maya Angelou. "My heroes are strong women who are achieving in their fields," she says. "1 would like to continue performing and to continue to grow as an actor and singer, to pave the way for other young minorities." With talent, vision and an abundance of creative energy, Audra McDonald is poised to become a superstar and a super role model in the world of performing arts.

Denyce Graves

Although she has been seen in jeans and a leather jacket, DENYCE GRAVES is a diva in every sense of the word. Recognized worldwide as a singer with a voice unparalleled in today's music, the 35-year-old Washington, D.C., native is considered the definitive Carmen by opera fans and critics. One critic even went so for as to call her "the real deal," adding that "if the human voice has the power to move you, you will be moved by Denyce Graves."

A master in bringing an everyday touch to what had been a historically stuffy art form, Graves often relies on what she calls "lighter pieces to break up war horses" of standard opera fare. While Graves, a mezzo-soprano, is a relative newcomer to the opera world, she realizes she is already playing an important role in shaping its future. Most notably, she is helping transform the role of women in opera from submissive figures to dominant roles that garner respect. "It is vital for my artistic and personal well-being that I not be pigeonholed," she says. "I feel very connected to my Sisterhood."