Where Are They Now? Living Female Icons In Black History

We hear so much about Black History Month icons and what they’ve done in the past around this time of year, but we were wondering, what are they up to presently? Many people don’t know that some of the people we’ve read about and watched films on are still living and thriving in different ways. Here are 10 examples of women I’ve looked up to who are still doing amazing things all these years later, and are still being honored for opening the doors for so many.

Ruby Bridges

Bridges was the first black student to attend an all-white school in the South after her parents volunteered her, through the NAACP, to participate in integrating schools in New Orleans. Now 60, Bridges still resides in New Orleans and is married with four sons. She was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton in 2001, and in 2006, an elementary school was dedicated to her. She continues to speak out against racism as an inspirational speaker. In 2014, a statue of Bridges was erected in her honor in front of William Frantz Elementary, the same school she was berated and threatened for integrating as a young girl in 1960.

Claudette Colvin

In 1955, Colvin was the first person to not give up her seat on a segregated bus and helped end bus segregation in Alabama. However, her story wasn’t publicized the way that Rosa Parks’ was because she became a teenage mother. The NAACP wasn’t comfortable using her as a representative in such a movement for change.

Now 75, Colvin lives in NYC and is retired after years of working as a nurse’s aide, and she has been able to share her story, which was stifled for so long. Colvin’s story has since been told in many ways. A biography, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, won a 2009 National Book Award, and a poem written by Rita Dove, “Claudette Colvin Goes To Work,” was published in Dove’s book of collected poetry: On the Bus with Rosa Parks back in 1999.

Janelle Penny Commissiong

She is the first black winner of the Miss Universe pageant, and won in 1977 as Miss Trinidad and Tobago. And don’t forget, she was the first black woman to win the “Miss Photogenic” award in the pageant. Three postage stamps have been issued in honor of her in Trinidad, and she was awarded the highest honor offered in the country: the Trinity Cross. Now 61, she still looks like a million bucks, is on the Tourism Board for Trinidad, and is a successful businesswoman. She was interviewed last August about what she’s up to now:

Beverly Johnson

In 1974, Beverly Johnson became the first African-American woman to be featured on the cover of American Vogue, and in 1975, she was the first black woman to appear on the French version of Elle. Both covers opened the door for other black models to appear on runways and with famous designers. These days, at 62, Johnson continues to make her name known through TV work (she had a reality show called “Beverly’s Full House”), and she just wrote a memoir on her life in 2013. And did I mention that she still looks amazing?

Kathleen Cleaver

The first female member to help make decisions for the Black Panther Party, and the ex-wife of the late Eldridge Cleaver, Kathleen was quite influential in the Party. She was a spokesperson and press secretary, and when Eldridge fled the country after being charged with attempted murder, she followed him. The couple tried to start their own organization too, called the Revolutionary People’s Communication Network before returning to the U.S.

Kathleen would later return to school in 1981, and go on to get a law degree from Yale Law School. At 69, she is currently a senior lecturer at Emory University’s School of Law, and is a senior lecturer in Yale’s African American Studies Department.

Angela Davis

The beloved political activist and scholar, known for her work in the Civil Rights Movement, was tried and acquitted of conspiracy in the 1970 Marin County courtroom takeover. Now 71, Davis has taught and done many public lectures, written several books and continues to speak out against the prison industrial complex, war, racism, sexism and speaks in support of social justice, and gay rights.

Dr. Mae Jemison

The first African-American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison was and still is extraordinarily influential. Now 58, Jemison holds nine honorary doctorates, has a high school (under construction) named after her, and was recently a Professor-at-Large at Cornell. She is board member of Kimberly Clark, Scholastic and Valspar, is Chair of the Greatest Huston Partnership Disaster Planning and Recovery Task Force, a member of Morehouse’s Board of Trustees and is principal of the 100 Year Starship Organization. And in 2009, she participated in a forum with Michelle Obama for promising young girls and spoke at the White House in 2012 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Title IX.

Jackie Joyner Kearsee

The retired Olympian, who picked up three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals in the long jump and heptathlon, was named the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated. Now 52, Kearsee has focused on philanthropic efforts and is part of the Board of Directors for USA Track & Field.

Joyce Bryant

Once known as the “Black Marilyn Monroe” because of her silver hair and amazing figure, Bryant left the industry in 1955 to fully devote herself to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She returned to show business as a trained classical vocalist and would later become a vocal coach. It’s unclear what she’s doing at 86, but this still, found of her from the documentary Joyce Bryant: The Lost Diva, is the most recent image of the former bombshell.

Nichelle Nichols

The famous actress and singer is best known for her work as Lieutenant Uhura on “Star Trek,” which she was part of from 1966-1969. Lt. Uhura was one of the first African American female characters on TV that wasn’t a servant.

These days, Nichols does voice-work for animated shows, and has played characters on shows like “Futurama” and “The Simpsons.” She also had a recurring role on the now defunct NBC show “Heroes,” and was recently in a film called The Torturer in 2008. She’s still working and doing well at age 82.

And she’s one of the few people in the world to have an asteroid named after her: 68410 Nichols.