WASHINGTON (7News) — In honor of Women’s History Month, 7News is celebrating the trailblazing women activists and politicians who have paved the way in Washington, D.C. through their courage, determination and leadership.
Discover the stories of these 10 influential women and uncover how their commitment to justice, equality and policy change has left an impact on the D.C. area.
Clara Barton (1821-1912)
Founder of the disaster relief organization, the American Red Cross, Barton was an educator and humanitarian from Massachusetts. She received the name “angel of the battlefield” because she helped distribute needed supplies to the Union Army during the Civil War.
She dedicated herself to first aid training and kits after she left the American Red Cross in her late 80s when another leader took over. She created a new model for emergency response and humanitarian aid laying the foundation for modern health care and disaster relief, helping to cement D.C. as a hub for humanitarian efforts, according to the National Women’s History Museum records.
7News spoke to Liz Witherspoon, a board member for the Red Cross of Montgomery, Howard and Frederick Counties, involved with the Clara Barton National Historic Site and the founder and CEO of the Clara Barton Fund.
Her impact is one that is incredibly current and felt around the world today and every day. She’s the person who brought the Red Cross to the United States. She also was somebody who stood for equal rights and racial equality,” Witherspoon said.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931)
Wells-Barnett was a journalist, anti-lynching activist, women’s suffragette and an early civil rights movement leader from Mississippi.
She brought attention to issues of racial injustice as well as founding and participating in several women’s suffrage organizations for Black women. She urged D.C. lawmakers to prioritize civil rights for all Americans, according to the National Women’s History Museum records.
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)
The National Museum of African American History and Culture records state Bethune was a civil rights activist and educator from South Carolina and worked within the federal government under Franklin D. Roosevelt to improve the lives of Black Americans. She founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls (now, Bethune-Cookman University).
She also founded the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) to create a national coalition of women’s associations, organizations and groups. Bethune’s work with the NCNW offered opportunities for women and minorities in D.C.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
As an advocate for human rights, social justice and women empowerment, Roosevelt left a legacy in D.C. paving the way for future first ladies to be the voices of change.
Born in New York City, she pushed Washington to take swifter action in housing desegregation and advocated for protections for Freedom Riders and other activists. She also worked on the Equal Pay Act and served for over a decade as a delegate to the United Nations, according to the National Women’s History Museum records.
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Alice Paul (1885-1997)
Behind the fight for the 19th Amendment, Paul was a suffragist from New Jersey who spent her life advocating for women’s issues. She co-founded the National Women’s Party.
Her push for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and support of suffrage started a movement that would continue for decades and solidified D.C.’s role in the fight for gender equality, according to the National Women’s History Museum records.
Dr. Dorothy Height (1912-2010)
The National Women’s History Museum records state Height was a leader in racial and gender equality from Virginia. Through her work with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), she focused on ending the lynching of African Americans and restructuring the criminal justice system.
Under her leadership, the NCNW supported voter registration in the South and financially aided several civil rights activists throughout the country.
Height was president of NCNW for 40 years. Her efforts helped influence many landmark civil rights policies, leaving her mark on D.C.’s push for equality and justice.
Josephine Butler (1920-1997)
The African American Intellectual Historical Society website states Butler, born in Maryland, dedicated most of her life to social justice, racial equality and community engagement.
Serving as a leader in environmental activism, she was a community health educator for the American Lung Association in D.C., where she educated thousands of children about air pollution.
With her passion for revitalizing parks and recreation, reforming healthcare and creating safe community havens for children and families, she was involved in many of the major political movements in D.C., according to the African American Intellectual Historical Society records.
Eleanor Holmes Norton (1937-Present)
The National Women’s History Museum records state Holmes, a D.C. native, is a feminist lawyer, civil servant and educator who was the first woman appointed to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her career continues to be in service of African Americans, women, D.C. residents and other historically disenfranchised people.
In current times, Norton continues to fight for D.C. statehood in her third decade as a congresswoman, according to the National Women’s History Museum records.
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Sharon Pratt (1944-Present)
In 1990, Pratt, a D.C. native, was the first African American woman to serve as D.C. mayor, according to IPPH records.
Currently, Pratt serves as the Founding Director of the UDC Institute for Politics, Policy and History (IPPH) and as Founding Chairman of Home Preservation Exchange, a nonprofit focused on stabilizing neighborhoods by acquiring troubled mortgages, according to IPPH records.
7News spoke to the Executive Office of the Mayor who said the following:
Sharon Pratt made history as Mayor of Washington DC, where she worked for the District’s statehood, strength, and stability. A native Washingtonian, she blazed the trail for generations of women in leadership in Washington DC and across the nation. Her contributions to DC’s history are undeniable. Today, as a leader in her field as a director at our very own UDC, she continues to shape the future and serve as a role model for the next generation of women and girls.
Connie Chung (1946-Present)
Chung is an American broadcast journalist who helped break down gender barriers in the late 20th century to become one of the first women reporters on national television in the United States. A D.C. native, she began her career in the nation’s capital and was the first Asian American anchor of a major network newscast, according to The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica.
In recent times, Chung released the memoir Connie, in which she described the highs and lows of her career and the challenges she faced, according to The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica.
