5 Powerful Black Women Who Rose To The Top

April 28, 2017

It’s important to celebrate and acknowledge people who have made it in the world and still work hard. However, today I’m going to limit my focus – I personally believe that Black women deserve a lot more credit for their accomplishments. Today I am not going to let these powerful women go unrecognized, so let’s talk about them. The following are five amazing stories of powerful Black women who became great leaders. Maybe try taking some notes – it’s never too late to push yourself.

Oprah Winfrey

I say that the best kind of millionaire is a self-made one. That’s just what Oprah is – she was born into poverty and eventually made her way to Forbes’ highest-earning celebrity list. Some even say that she’s the most powerful woman in the world! It all started with her delivery of the news, which got her her own talk show that became a household name. Even though she’s worth millions, she still finds it in her heart to donate to charity and even started up a boarding school in Africa for girls in poverty. Now that’s powerful.

Folorunsho Alakija

Here’s another self-made tycoon, but she’s not quite as well known as Oprah. She began as a fashion student and later on became the richest woman in Nigeria from founding her own tailoring company. She now holds a stake in a big oil company, which nets her even more money and ensures that she stays at the top. Luckily, she doesn’t keep it all to herself; she has a foundation (the Rose of Sharon Foundation) that gives widows and orphans scholarships and grants.

Michelle Obama

This was an obvious one. Did you know that former First Lady Michelle Obama had an approval rating of 66 percent? Using her position to help fight obesity, healthy lifestyles, and even racism probably helped a lot. Even after being replaced, she still continues to speak out for what she believes is right. Here’s hoping that she has even more to say in the future.

Ertharin Cousin

Ertharin Cousin is the executive director of the UN’s World Food Program, a program that strives to fight global hunger. They do a pretty good job, too – the World Food Program has fed millions of people to date and has raised billions of dollars to keep up the pace. She was also the United States Ambassador to the United Nations for Food and Agriculture. You know you’ve made it when Mr. President himself gives you approval, right?

Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns started out as an intern for Xerox, then became a CEO of the company later on. Talk about going up the corporate ladder! Incidentally, she’s also the first Black woman to become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company AND the first woman to succeed another woman in a Fortune 500 company. I also have to admit that she’s done a good job keeping the company relevant, since we’re now in the age of screens and Xerox is known for largely being a paper company.