Yasss queen

It’s Black Women's History Month!

And these women have BEEN in formation.

by Simone R. Johnson
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Kizzmekia Corbett was one of the leading scientists to help develop the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine in 2020. Corbett is also an assistant professor of immunology and infectious diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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Allyson Felix is a six-time gold medalist and track runner. She competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as a new mom; she won a gold medal. In Nov. 2018, she gave birth to her daughter after facing preeclampsia and an emergency C-section.

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Shirley Ann Jackson is the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from MIT and the second to earn a doctorate in physics in our nation’s history. In 2015, she received the National Medal of Science. Today, she is the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), making her the first Black woman to lead a top-ranked research university.

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Raquel Willis is the executive editor at Out magazine, making her the first transgender woman to hold the leadership position in the publication’s 26-year history.

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Kimberly Bryant founded Black Girls Code in 2011. The program is dedicated to exposing girls of color between the ages seven to 17 to STEM, tech, and coding studies through workshops and after-school programs. Today, Black Girls Code has trained more than 8,000 girls.

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Jaha Dukureh is a survivor of female genital mutilation after being forced to marry at 15. Today she is a United Nations Women Regional Ambassador for Africa and CEO and founder of “Safe Hands for Girls.” This organization helps survivors of FGM heal and recover from their trauma.

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Sheila Johnson is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, and co-founder of BET. In 2000 she became the first Black female billionaire to appear on a Forbes list. She is also the first and only Black woman to have a stake in three pro sports teams — the Wizards, the Capitals, and the Mystics.

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Ari Merenciano is an artist, designer, researcher, and DJ. She is the founder of Afrotectopia, an artistic hub that celebrates innovation, design, technology, and blackness. Merenciano is also a consultant for New York City's Department of Education.

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Vanessa Nakate is a climate activist from Uganda and founder of the Rise up Climate Movement, an organization dedicated to supporting African activists.

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Bozoma Saint John recently exited her role as the chief marketing officer at Netflix. Before that she was the chief brand officer for Uber and the head of global consumer marketing at Apple Music & iTunes.

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