More Firsts For African-American Women

Phillis Peters Wheatley was not only the firstwon the prominent award for just her second book of
African-American woman author, but was also thepoetry she had written, "Annie Allen". She hailed from
first African-American person to write a book thatChicago.
was published in America. She was a former slave. InRita Dove was the first African-American woman and
1773 her book, "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious,person to be appointed to the distinguished literary post
and Moral", was published.of United States Poet Laureate in 1993. She was also
She was an African-American woman who burned athe second African-American woman to win a Pulitzer
trail for current African-American film stars-- Hattiefor poetry for her book (published in 1985) "Thomas
McDaniel became not only the first African-Americanand Beulah".
woman but also the first African-American person toThe first African-American woman and person to be
win an Academy Award. She won the award forgiven the Nobel Prize for literature was Toni Morrison.
best supporting actress for her role in the AmericanShe received the award in 1993 and is considered one
movie "Gone With The Wind". She told critics "I'd ratherof America's most legendary writers. The first female
play a maid than be one".bank president was African-American Maggie Lena
In 1959, Lorraine Vivian Hansberry became the firstWalker. She opened the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank
African-American female playwright to have her workin Richmond, Virginia in 1903. America's first self-made
performed on Broadway. Her play was "A Raisin inAfrican-American female millionaire was Madame C.J.
the Sun", a significantly influential play to Black theatreWalker who began a African-American hair-care
about the struggles of an African-American family.products company in 1906 and used it profit to carve
The first African-American person to receive aher a place in the history books.
Pulitzer Prize was Gwendolyn Brooks. In 1950, she