Top Black Women Leaders, Past and Present

is an intern at The Root and senior journalism major at Howard University.

Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Abolitionist and poet.

Abolitionist and women's rights activist.

Abolitionist and commander of the Underground Railroad.

Lawyer and first lady of the United States of America.

Political analyst affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Former congresswoman representing New York's 12th district for seven terms and the first major-party black candidate to run for president of the United States.

Congresswoman in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1937 to 1979.

Law professor and activist.

Political activist and college professor.

Served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana from 1982 to 1985.

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (Illinois) from 1973 to 1997.

Former member of the Florida House of Representatives and U.S. House of Representatives.

Represented Illinois in the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 1999.

Boston politician.

Former speaker of the California State Assembly.

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 33rd Congressional District.

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 4th Congressional District.

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 11th congressional district.

First woman elected as the San Francisco district attorney, currently running for attorney general for California.

Public finance attorney and candidate for U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 7th congressional district.

Fox News political analyst and activist.

Attorney general of Massachusetts.

Former governor of Alaska and former vice presidential candidate.

Secretary of State and former U.S. presidential candidate.