24 Inspiring Dark-Skinned Black Women
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
– Michelle Obama
To commemorate International Women’s Day I compiled a list of iconic dark-skinned black women, this is a personal list of the women who inspired me with their accomplishments, perseverance, and talent.
There is an infinite number of amazing women in the world, and I would like to know about who inspires you, tell me in the comments which women inspire you.
Also! Enjoy a 10% discount on all my services this week to commemorate our special day using code WOMENSDAY10 at checkout. *The promotion is only valid from March 8th, 2021 to March 14th, 2021*
The first woman on my list is my mother. She is my biggest supporter in everything I do and she is one of the hardest working people that I know. She taught me to always stay true to myself and the importance of perseverance and hard work
1. My mom.
The first woman on my list is my mother. She is my biggest supporter in everything I do and she is one of the hardest working people that I know. She taught me to always stay true to myself and the importance of perseverance and hard work
2. Pat Macgrath
She is one of the most influential makeup artists in the world, not only that but she has her own makeup line, creating some of the best products on the market. She has been a makeup artist for more than two decades giving her the expertise and passion she needed to create an all-inclusive makeup brand.
3. Michelle Obama
She is a very accomplished woman, an attorney, writer, activist, and the first African American first lady of the USA. One of her biggest projects was the Let's Move campaign to combat childhood obesity.
4. Mellody Hobson
She is an American businesswoman, president of Ariel Investments, chairwoman of Starbucks, and former chain woman of DreamWorks animations. She was the first African-American woman to head The Economic Club of Chicago and she is also listed on the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
5. Venus And Serena Williams
They are professional tennis players. Between both of them, they have 30 Grand Slam singles titles and 9 Olympic medals. During the US Open in 2018 Serena said, “I know when I play her, I have to play some of my best tennis. She does, too. … I feel like, throughout our career, we have pushed each other to be the best that we can be… and be Venus and Serena Williams.”
5. Venus And Serena Williams
They are both businesswomen. Venus has her own activewear brand, an interior design firm, and a protein shake business. And Serena has a clothing brand and a jewelry brand.
6. Simone Biles
Simone is an Olympic artistic gymnast. She is the most decorated American gymnast and the world’s third most decorated gymnast.
7. Michaela Deprince
She is a ballet dancer from Sierra Leone. She is the Dutch National Ballet's 2nd soloist and has worked with Beyonce, has been the face of Jockey, and is also an ambassador of War Child Holland.
8. Nicola Adams
She became the first female boxer to become an Olympic champion at London 2012, and the first double Olympic champion at Rio 2016. She has retired from boxing, and she did it with an undefeated record.
9. Precious Adams
She is an American Ballet dancer and is now part of the English National Ballet as a Junior soloist.
10. Danielle Brooks
She is an American actress, best known for her role in Orange Is the New Black and her portrayal of Sofia in the Broadway production The Color Purple, which gave her a Tony nomination.
11. Lupita Nyong’o
She is a Kenyan-Mexican actress famous for her roles in 12 Years a Slave, Star Wars, Black Panther, and Us. She is also the first Kenyan and Mexican actress to win an Academy Award.
12. Viola Davis
She is an American actress and producer best know for her roles in How to get away with Murder, Fences, Eat Pray Love, The Help, and many others. She is the first African-American to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting (winning a Tony, an Oscar, and an Emmy) and was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017 and ranked by The New York Times 9th on its list of The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century.
13. Octavia Spencer
She is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best know for her work in The Help, Ma, Self Made, and many others. She is the first black actress to receive two consecutive Academy Award nominations in back-to-back years. She and Viola Davis share the record of the most nominated Black actress in Oscars history.
14. Hattie Mcdaniel
She was an American actress, singer, songwriter, and comedian. She won an academy award for her role in Gone with the Wind, becoming the first-ever African American to win an Oscar. Not only that but she was the first black woman to sing on the radio in the United States. She was an exceptionally talented woman in a time of extreme racism being unable to attend the premiere of Gone with the Wind because of segregation, being forced to sit at a separate table when she won an Oscar, and being denied her wish to be buried at the Hollywood Cemetery.
15. Nina Simone
She was an American singer, songwriter, and civil rights, activist. She participated in protests during the ’60s with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
16. Kelly Rowland
She is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is best know for her solo work and as a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time along with Beyonce and Michelle Williams.
17. Aja Naoimi King
She is an American actress and activist. She is best known for her role in How to Get Away With Murder and was also one of the faces of Olay and L’Oréal Paris. She received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress nomination.
18. Naomi Campbell
She is a British supermodel and businesswoman. She is one of the most famous and best-established models of the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s. Her along with Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Claudia Schiffer (who replaced Tatjana Patitz) are considered the “Original 90’s supermodels” or the Big Five, later known as The Big Six, adding Kate Moss.
19. Grace Jones
She is a Jamaican model, singer, songwriter, and actress. She was ranked 82nd on the Vh1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll in 1999 and won a Q-idol award in 2008. Billboard magazine ranked her as the 40th greatest dance club artist of all time in 2016.
20. Maria Borges
She is an Angolan model. She was named Forbes Africa Magazine's top model of 2013. She is also known as the first black model to ever walk in natural hair in a Victoria’s Secret fashion show. And she is listed as one of the Money girls on models.com
21. Alek Wek
She is a Sudanese-British model and designer. She was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women in 2015. She is one of the first deep dark-skinned models to be featured in the high fashion industry. And she is listed as one of the Industry Icons on models.com
22. Anok Yai
She is an American model of Sudanese descent. She is the second black woman to open a Prada show after Naomi Campbell and the first Sudanese woman to do so. She is one of the Top 50 models on models.com
23. Adut Akech
She is a Sudanese-Australian model. She is one of the Top 50 models on models.com and was also awarded as Model of the Year in 2019 by the British Fashion Council
24. Dukie Thot
She is an Australian model. She is best known for being one of the faces of Fenty Beauty, being third in Australia's Next Top Model, and for being Alice on the Alice in Wonderland Pirelli Calendar. And she is listed as one of the Money girls on models.com
25. Leomie Anderson
She is a British model and designer. She is mostly known for being a Victoria’s Secret angel and being one of the faces of Path McGrath Makeup and Fenty beauty. She became a designer by making her own clothing brand, LAPP. and She is also listed as one of the Money girls on models.com
