North Carolina History Makers

Elreta Melton Alexander After becoming the rst African American woman to graduate from Columbia Law School in 1945, Alexander went on to become the rst 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 WOMEN’S HISTORY IS FULL

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 refl ection 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 rst African American woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1977. Loretta Lynch 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 O ce, Lynch became the 83rd Attorney General of the United States in 2015.

SCHLESINGER LIBRARY, HARVARD RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE Harriet Jacobs Jacobs, who was born in 1813 in Edenton, North Carolina, was the rst African American female slave to write a biography, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.”

Maya Angelou Although not a native North Carolinian, this acclaimed writer and civil rights activist called North Carolina home as a long-time resident of Winston-Salem. Angelou was the rst Black woman to write a screenplay for a major lm release as well as the rst female inaugural poet in United States presidential history.

Annie Wealthy Holland A champion of education for African Americans in North Carolina, in 1928, Holland formed the North Carolina Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, the rst such organization in the state.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DURHAM COUNTY LIBRARY Eva M. Clayton In 1992, Clayton made history by becoming the rst woman and the rst African American woman to represent North Carolina in Congress. At the time, she was also the rst African American to be elected to Congress from the state since 1901.

OBERLIN COLLEGE ARCHIVES

Mary Jane Patterson Born into slavery in 1840 in Raleigh, Patterson became the rst African American woman to graduate from an established four-year college in the United States.

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