About This Book

They fought hard for their rights when the laws were unjust. They turned deaf ears on discouraging words. They triumphed over insurmountable obstacles. Here, spanning over a century, are thirteen extraordinary African-American women who blazed uncharted paths in journalism, politics, education, law, science, and the arts to make the world a better place for us all.

Through the power of her pen, Ida B. Wells-Barnett exposed the horror of lynching to the world, despite threats to her own life. Fannie Lou Hamer risked her life when she empowered American citizens by helping them register to vote. Mae C. Jemison broke through gender and race barriers to become America's first black woman astronaut. How each of these powerful women paved the way for a better future — and made a difference — is illuminated by the book's chronological presentation.

Joyce Hansen's brief, well-crafted biographies, and the striking black-and-white photographs that accompany them, reveal the remarkable strength of these inspiring Women of Hope. In the words of Dr. Alexa Canady, the first black woman neurosurgeon, "It's your vision; it's your life; it's yours to make it happen."