Shoshana Nyree Johnson is recognized as the first Black female Prisoner of War (POW) in United States military history. A U.S. Army Specialist and cook with the 507th Maintenance Company, she was captured on March 23, 2003, after her convoy was ambushed in Nasiriyah, Iraq, during the Iraq War.
What Makes Cathay Williams An American Hero: Though over 400 women served in the Civil War posing as male soldiers, Williams was the first African American woman to enlist and the only documented woman to serve in the United States Army, while disguised as a man, during the Indian Wars.
Female POW Iraq: A Story of Hope and Healing. Every now and then, Shoshana Johnson finds herself questioning whether she was worthy of being rescued. The Army veteran was part of a convoy ambushed by enemy forces in Iraq in March 2003.
Jackie Salvatore, a New York native with more than three decades of law enforcement experience, has been sworn in as sheriff of Columbia County, making history as the first Black woman ever elected to the position in New York State.
Vernice Armour. Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour (born September 23, 1973) is a former United States Marine Corps officer who was the first African-American female naval aviator in the Marine Corps and America's first black female combat pilot.
1892 -1926. Bessie Coleman was the first African-American woman, and also the first woman of Native-American descent, to hold a pilot's license.
Most Americans are well acquainted with the story of Amelia Earhart, but few have heard the story of Bessie Coleman - a courageous African American female pilot - who received her pilot's license two years before Earhart took to the skies.
Georgia Ann Robinson was the first African American woman to serve as a police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department, breaking racial and gender barriers in law enforcement when she was appointed in 1916.
Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son in 1828, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man.
America's First Black Female Officer
Georgia Ann Robinson was one of these women. She was the first Black female police officer to be hired by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and history suggests that she is the first Black female police officer to ever serve in the United States.
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
8 fearsome female warriors from history
For the first time, women could take their shot at the Trident. But nearly a decade later, the reality remains unchanged: no woman has yet become a Navy SEAL. The pathway is open.
Living members of the Battalion were honored in their hometowns. Only four members survived until 2024: Romay Davis, Fannie McClendon, Lena King, and Anna Mae Robertson. Only Fannie McClendon is still living as of July 2025.
Gen. Stayce D. Harris made history as the first Black woman to serve as a three-star general in the U.S. Air Force and the first Black female lieutenant general in its entire history. She also became the highest-ranking Black woman in the Department of Defense at retirement.
10 Influential Black Women Who Shaped History and Continue to Inspire
Motivated by the promise of liberty, Elizabeth Freeman, born as “Mum Bett,” became the first African American woman to successfully file a lawsuit for freedom in the state of Massachusetts.
Wilma Rudolph, born #OTD in 1940, overcame polio as a child and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games. She made her hometown parade in Clarksville, Tennessee, the city's first integrated public event, refusing to attend unless everyone could celebrate together.
Honoring Brigadier General Hazel Winifred Johnson-Brown, the first African-American woman to hold the rank of General in the United States Armed Force.
Women in the LAPD
The Los Angeles Police Department was the first in the country to appoint a woman officer with full powers to arrest. In 1910, Alice Stebbins Wells became the first woman police officer in LAPD after campaigning for the inclusion of women in the police force.
Kiran Bedi PPMG PNBB (born 9 June 1949) is a former tennis player who became the first Indian women to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1972 and was the 24th lieutenant governor of Puducherry from 28 May 2016 to 16 February 2021.
On September 3, 1922, Bessie Coleman made the first public flight by a Black woman in the United States. Ultimately, she began barnstorming—one of the few jobs in aviation at this time.
Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world—and their story continues to intrigue researchers and the public alike. The author details evidence indicating that official actions may have contributed to the mystery.
Some of Earhart's character traits include the following: adventurous, ambitious, curious, and determined. (This is not a complete list of Earhart's character traits.)