Minding Our Business(es)

Black women who build revenue streams to fortify and uplift the Black community
Mae Reeves with women wearing hats

Hats Off to Mae Reeves!

Mae Reeves was a business pioneer whose lasting legacy was to empower and enfranchise African American men and women across her beloved Philadelphia.
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Photographs of Annie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker

Pioneers of the African American Beauty Industry

Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam C.J. Walker developed haircare and beauty products, created beauty schools and launched highly successful businesses that employed hundreds of African Americans (mainly women).
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Portrait of Anne Lowe seated, model is seen in background

Ann Lowe: One of America’s Most Significant Designers

Ann Lowe's most historically significant commission was the bridal gown and bridal party dresses for the 1953 wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier and then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, who would become president of the United States in 1961.


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Image of Norma Sklarek looking at a set of plans.

Building a Better Future

Norma Merrick Sklarek (1926-2012) broke down barriers in architecture. Her story illustrates the increased difficulty for African Americans women to gain a professional foothold.
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Headshot of Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey, Media Mogul and Philanthropist

Oprah Winfrey is a media mogul, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Her couch from the Harpo Studios in Chicago, and several other items she donated to the museum, are on display as part of the exhibition, "A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond."
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Portrait photo of Madeline Anderson by Myrna Suarez. She is wearing a black head scarf, tan & black vest and beaded necklace.

Cinema + Conversation: Filmmaker Madeline Anderson

Madeline Anderson is often credited as being the first black woman to produce and direct a televised documentary film, the first black woman to produce and direct a syndicated television series, the first black employee at New York-based public television station WNET, and one of the first black women to join the film editor’s union.
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Photograph of eight women flight attendants next to a plane.

Breaking Barriers in the Sky

Black flight attendants of the mid-20th century made invaluable contributions to the pursuit of civil rights through actively challenging and subverting the narrow standards of what it meant to represent their profession during this era.
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A photo of Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson wearing a red suit in a courthouse

Pioneering Women in Law

Our museum recognizes the many contributions of African American women in law, justice and public policy. 
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The Power of Poetry

The Power of Poetry

#NationalPoetryMonth: 3 Poems You Should Read

Happy National Poetry Month! We’re kicking off our favorite time of the year with a challenge to anyone who loves the sound of flowing words and rhythmic beats.
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The Power of Poetry

The Power of Poetry: Post-1970s to Contemporary Performance Poetry

Poetry after the 1970s challenged the tendency of the preceding Black Arts Movement to view African Americans as a monolithic group—as a collective of people with the same values, goals, and cultural expressions.
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The Power of Poetry

The Power of Poetry: Mother's Day Edition

Through literature, writers and activists throughout history have paid homage to mothers of African descent. In recognition of Mother’s Day, the museum features a few selected poems by prominent figures in African American history and culture.
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The Power of Poetry

The Power of Poetry: The New Negro Renaissance to the Black Arts Movement

This is part two of a three-part blog series on African American poetry. This piece will cover The New Negro Renaissance to the Black Arts Movement.
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