The world is increasingly seeing the rise in black excellence. Whether in the realm of TV/film, business, tech, and more, the future is looking bright and history is being made or should I say HerStory.
Black women are the blueprint in many ways. In recent years we have seen an abundance of women dominating in spaces where at one point in time we were overlooked. A shift is happening before our eyes, so here’s a list of phenomenal women (in no particular order) who are more than deserving of their flowers!
Rihanna
This island gal stepped on the scene back in 2005 giving us hit after hit and has not evolved into a billionaire mogul. Not only is she a grammy winning, chart-topping artist, but the Barbadian beauty is also a philanthropist in her hometown Barbados. Rihanna took over the beauty scene after she launched her makeup company Fenty Beauty which catapulted her into a businesswoman! Not to mention, she is now a mother and slayed this year’s Superbowl Halftime Performance.
Angela Bassett
Harlem-born actress Angela Bassett has been on our movie screens since the early 90s. Serving up her iconic role as Tina Turner in ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’, following up with more amazing movies such as; ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’, ‘Waiting to Exhale’, and countless other classics. More recently Bassett has made history for being the first Marvel actor to be nominated for an Oscar from her performance in ‘Wakanda Forever’. Although this queen did not receive the prize she is still killing the game with many successful years in the industry as a Black actress.
Monique Rodriguez
Mielle Organics is a household name at this point when it comes to Black haircare products. The 39-year-old CEO has taken the beauty industry by storm with her formula that allows women to achieve healthy hair, skin, and nails. The multi-million-dollar brand was recently acquired by P&G beauty giving this Black business owner the upper hand to be able to distribute her line in more stores!
Issa Rae
This multifaceted woman is what I like to call a trailblazer. Issae Rae is the first Black woman to create and star in her own series, which we all know as ‘Insecure’. This South LAqueen has also created opportunities for other Black actors to be noticed, starting her own production company Hoorae in 2020. She holds the candle of being an actress, comedian, writer, and producer and in 2022 she was given the key to her city of Inglewood. Issa’s most recent show, Rap Sh*t on HBO Max is a must-watch. She’s a force to be reckoned with.
Sheryl Lee Ralph
An icon living is what actress Sheryl Lee Ralph is and the accolades she has been receiving lately are long overdue but well deserved. This original DreamGirl has swept up her first Emmy Award this year for her role in the comedy series ‘Abbott Elementary‘. Ralph also had the opportunity to perform the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. The actress and singer made her film debut back in 1977 and has been gracing the industry ever since.