Impact Wall
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Powerful Female Changemakers

Angela Davis
Angela Davis (born 1944) is an iconic activist, scholar, and author known for her lifelong work in social justice movements and her influence on issues of race, class, gender, and the prison industrial complex. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, she grew up in the segregated South, which profoundly shaped her awareness of racial injustice. Davis rose to national prominence in the late 1960s as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movement, and the Communist Party USA.
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A former professor and accomplished scholar, Davis has written extensively on critical theory, focusing on issues like feminism, abolition, and Marxism. Her notable works include Women, Race & Class, a foundational feminist text examining how race, gender, and class intersect in women’s lives, and Are Prisons Obsolete?, a critical examination of the prison industrial complex and a call for prison abolition. Her ideas have been influential in the field of critical race theory and radical feminism, often pushing beyond conventional frameworks of justice to envision transformative societal change.
Davis became internationally known when she was placed on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list in 1970 after being accused of aiding in an attempted prison break that led to a deadly shootout. She was eventually acquitted of all charges after a highly publicized trial, and her case galvanized support from activists worldwide. Since then, she has continued her advocacy, focusing on prison reform and abolition, racial justice, and issues facing marginalized communities.
Angela Davis is also a founding member of Critical Resistance, an organization dedicated to dismantling the prison-industrial complex. Her work has inspired generations to question and challenge structural injustices, and her call for intersectional approaches to justice has influenced a wide range of social movements. Today, she continues to lecture, write, and advocate for a future rooted in equality and collective liberation, serving as a prominent figure in the fight for social justice and a model of resilience and radical vision.

bell hooks
Bell Hooks (1952–2021), born Gloria Jean Watkins, was a profoundly influential author, feminist theorist, cultural critic, and educator whose work addressed systems of oppression, love, and the intersections of race, gender, and class. She chose the pen name “bell hooks” (styled in lowercase to emphasize her ideas rather than herself) as a tribute to her great-grandmother and to make her work accessible and conversational.
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Her breakthrough book, Ain’t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism (1981), challenged mainstream feminist thought for its lack of inclusivity, highlighting how Black women and women of color were often overlooked. This book became foundational in intersectional feminist theory, showing how racism, sexism, and classism are interwoven and how Black women experience unique forms of marginalization.
Throughout her career, hooks published more than 30 books, covering a wide range of topics from cultural criticism to children’s literature. Her works include Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, All About Love, and Teaching to Transgress, in which she explored the transformative potential of education, love, and critical thinking as tools for liberation and healing. She was known for challenging the status quo in academia, offering critiques that spoke to diverse audiences, from scholars to everyday readers.
hooks also emphasized the importance of love and community in the struggle for justice, arguing that love was a powerful, radical force for change. Her ideas have had a lasting impact on feminist theory, education, and social justice activism. In her later years, she founded the bell hooks Institute at Berea College in Kentucky, which continues to preserve and promote her legacy.
bell hooks’ work remains celebrated for its accessible language, practical insights, and deep commitment to inclusion, compassion, and equality. She reshaped feminist thought and left an enduring impact on social justice, emphasizing that “love is an action, never simply a feeling.”

Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson (1945–1992) was a prominent LGBTQ+ activist, drag queen, and a key figure in the early gay rights movement in the United States. A Black transgender woman, she played a crucial role in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, which sparked a nationwide movement for LGBTQ+ rights. Marsha was known for her vibrant personality, resilience, and advocacy for transgender and homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
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Alongside fellow activist Sylvia Rivera, she co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) in 1970, one of the first organizations in the U.S. focused on helping homeless transgender youth. STAR provided safe housing, food, and support to LGBTQ+ young people who were often rejected by their families and faced significant hardships. The organization also advocated for the inclusion of trans and gender-nonconforming people within the broader LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Marsha was known for her signature flower crowns and her generosity, often giving her own limited resources to others in need. She was also an advocate for sex workers’ rights and people living with HIV/AIDS, helping to raise awareness about the epidemic when it was still largely ignored.
Though her life was cut tragically short under mysterious circumstances in 1992, Marsha P. Johnson’s legacy endures. She remains a powerful symbol of resilience, courage, and the fight for equality for transgender and marginalized people. In recent years, her contributions have been increasingly recognized, including posthumous honors and the establishment of the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which continues her work to protect and empower Black trans women and the larger LGBTQ+ community.

Matilda “Tillie” Black Bear
Tillie Black Bear (1949–2014) was a powerful advocate and trailblazer in the movement against domestic violence, particularly within Native American communities. A member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, she was one of the founding voices who brought national attention to the impact of domestic violence on Indigenous women, working tirelessly to create culturally specific support systems and advocate for survivors’ rights.
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In 1978, she co-founded the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, the first shelter for Indigenous women in the United States, located on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. This organization not only provided safety and support for survivors but also incorporated Lakota cultural practices and spirituality, which was revolutionary at the time.
Tillie was instrumental in the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994, advocating for the specific inclusion of protections for Native women. She served on numerous advisory boards and councils, including the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), and was the first Native American woman to receive an award from the National Organization for Women (NOW). Known as the “Grandmother of the Battered Women’s Movement,” her legacy lives on through the continued work of organizations she helped establish and inspire.
Her work inspired the inclusion of culturally relevant services for Indigenous communities across the U.S., and her legacy is honored each year on October 1st, recognized as Tillie Black Bear Day.
Disclaimer: Biographies and images on this page were produced with AI.
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