Elreta Melton Alexander After becoming the first African American woman to graduate from Columbia Law School in 1945, Alexander went on to become the first African American woman in North Carolina to practice law, to argue before its Supreme Court, and to be elected to a district court judgeship. AFRICAN AMERICAN
Loretta Lynch
WOMEN’S HISTORY IS FULL
Lynch was born in Greensboro in 1959. After attending Harvard Law School, years of private practice, and a leadership role in the United States Attorney’s Office, Lynch became the 83rd Attorney General of the United States in 2015.
OF PIONEERS— women
who fought for their rights and made great contributions and strides in all aspects of American life. Here we pay tribute to women with ties to North Carolina who have not only made a special mark on our state, but are an inspiration to our nation and the entire world. These African American trailblazers are a clear reflection of a prideful legacy, a celebration of our changing times, and a signpost to an even greater future.
Dr. Pauli Murray Orphaned at a young age, Murray was raised by relatives in Durham, North Carolina. She was an American civil rights activist, a lawyer, women’s rights activist, and an author. Drawn to the ministry, Murray became the first African American woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1977.
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Harriet Jacobs
SCHLESINGER LIBRARY, HARVARD RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE
lakenormanw oman.com
Jacobs, who was born in 1813 in Edenton, North Carolina, was the first African American female slave to write a biography, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.”
