Top of page
Posted by: Amber Paranick
Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood was an American feminist and lawyer who was the first woman admitted to argue a case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Her work “blazed the way for independent womanhood, often in the face of ridicule as well as contemptuous opposition.” At the time of her death, she was the …
Posted in: Biography, Digitized Newspapers, Women's History
Posted by: Amber Paranick
This year’s celebration of Pride Month wrapped up this week and we wanted to highlight an important figure in the history of blues music whose story has often been overlooked. Gertrude “Ma” Rainey was hailed as the “Mother of the Blues” and was a bisexual Black singer who has and continues to inspire generations of musicians. …
Posted in: African American History, Biography, LGBTQ+, Newspapers, Women's History
Posted by: Amber Paranick
Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire through her company, Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing. Though she had no formal education, she gained a wide reputation as an African American entrepreneur in the cosmetics industry and manufacturer of a hair remedy, which she coined the “Walker System.” …
Posted in: Advertising, African American History, Biography, Digitized Newspapers, Newspapers, Women's History
Posted by: Amber Paranick
This is a revision of the Headlines and Heroes 2019 International Women’s Day blog. Sunday, March 8, 2020, was International Women’s Day and today we return to our historical newspaper archives for stories featuring change-making women in newspapers searchable in Chronicling America. This database, sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of …
Posted in: Biography, Digitized Newspapers, Holidays, Women's History
Posted by: Amber Paranick
Introducing the great, cyclonic, Eva Tanguay—the world’s most eccentric comedienne and most loved musical comedy star on the American stage that you probably never even heard of! Eva Tanguay was the highest-paid and billed as the most outrageous star of vaudeville’s golden age. Born in Marbleton, Canada, her family relocated to Holyoke, Massachusetts when she …
Posted in: Biography, Digitized Newspapers, Women's History