African Descent Archives - Infinite Women

Inez Robie Patterson

Philadelphia’s Inez Patterson integrated pools and encouraged other African-American girls to swim too

Martha Reeves

Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas not only recorded an anthem for the civil rights era – they fought for fair pay and proudly called themselves divas

When people with mental health problems are in crisis, police often are the first responders. Since many officers have little to no training on how to assess or treat mental illness, these situations can easily become violent. One of the first cases to receive wide attention and spur reform efforts happened on Oct. 29, 1984. A white New York City police officer fatally shot 66-year-old Eleanor Bumpurs, a Black woman. Bumpurs, who lived in public housing and had a history of mental health problems, was killed during an eviction.

Bobbi Sykes

Forced out of school early by racism, she became a nurse, before working as a journalist. She helped to found the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern, and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, among many other entities. In the early 1970s, as a prominent activist for Aboriginal rights, Sykes was invited to speak on racism, rights and colonialism in countries including the UK, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Lear Green

Lear Green (circa 1839-1860) was an enslaved African American woman in Baltimore, Maryland, who had herself shipped in a chest to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to escape slavery.

Clarissa Davis

Clarissa Davis (later known as Mary D. Armstead) dressed as a man to evade slave-catchers and others, and traveled in a chest aboard a ship from Virginia to Pennsylvania to win her freedom.

Cleopatra Selene II

Cleopatra Selene II (40 – c. 5 BCE) was a member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty who became the queen of Mauretania upon her marriage to King Juba II of Numidia (48 BCE – 23 CE).

Berenice IV

Queen of Ptolemaic Egypt who ruled briefly after her father Ptolemy XII was overthrown by a popular rebellion. Berenike IV’s reign ended in 55 BCE when her father reconquered Egypt with a mercenary Roman army and ordered her execution.