Scholar, author, activist, world leader for Black Feminism movements and Civil/Human Rights struggles. She was involved in various causes around class and gender, including the second-wave feminist movement, and the Black Panther Party. Professor emerita at the University of California/ History of Consciousness Department, and a former director of the university's Feminist Studies Department. She keeps inspiring feminist struggles worldwide.
Lélia Gonzalez
1935-1994, Brazil
Brazilian intellectual, politician, professor, anthropologist. Leila is one of the first voices to point out the intersectionality of systems of oppression. She inspired many generations of Black Feminists, including Angela Davis. She founded the Black Movement of Brazil, Research Institute of Black Cultures (Instituto de Pesquisas das Culturas Negras, IPCN), the Black Women's Collective – N'Zinga and the Olodum.
Audre Lorde
born 1934 - 1992 USA
Self-described as „black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet“, was a pioneer for black lesbians everywhere. Her poems and prose largely deal with issues related to civil rights, feminism, lesbianism, illness and disability, and the exploration of black female identity. Your Silence Will Not Protect You” is a posthumous collection of essays, speeches, and poems published in 2017.
Marielle Franco
1979-2018, Favela da Maré, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Politician, sociologist, activist, local leader for Black Feminism and Human Rights. As Audre Lorde, also a black, lesbian, mother, warrior and an enormous power of inspiration for the so-called “Women of the Periphery” in Brazil, By out-speaking critic of police brutality and extrajudicial killings in the slums and peripheries of Rio de Janeiro, she was brutally murdered. This occurred right after her speech on „Black Youngsters Moving [Power] Structures“. She became the symbol of Black feminism and intersectional struggles in Brazil and worldwide Her murder is still unsolved.
Maya Angelou
1928-2014, Missouri, USA
American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist. She published several books of poetry, plays, movies, and television shows over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. She was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” was published in 1969 and it is still a source of inspiration and empowerment for women to speak out.
