It’s always inspiring to see Black women smash glass ceilings. And emphasizing those significant strides and milestones is essential. Similarly to last year, women in a variety of professions and fields of education made history by accomplishing commendable feats.
As previously stated, it is critical that their stories be shared so that the younger female generation understands that the impossible is truly nothing. Despite obstacles and setbacks, these women maintained their focus, and it paid off in the end.
Here are the Black women who made history in 2022:
Jada Davis
Jada Davis was crowned Miss Milwaukee 2022, becoming the first Black woman to hold the title. The 23-year-old Milwaukee resident is a student at Marquette University Law School, where she is pursuing her Juris Doctorate.
She was a law clerk and former dance instructor for the Boys & Girls Clubs before she became involved in pageantry late last year. She has also volunteered for a variety of organizations, including the Milwaukee Justice Center, the Marquette Volunteer Law Clinic, the YWCA, the Unity Gospel House of Prayer, and the Black Youth Alliance.
Lisa Cook
Lisa Cook became the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve’s board of governors after being approved by the United States Senate.
Cook has taught economics and international relations at Michigan State University since 2005. She worked as a staff economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers from 2011 to 2012. According to First Post, she also advised the Biden-Harris transition team on Fed and bank regulatory policy.
Tatiana Julien
Tatiana Julien, a New Orleans native, made history by becoming the Louisiana Army National Guard’s first Black female pilot, according to the Associated Press.
Julien said she was inspired to become a pilot by a Black New Orleans pilot who was in her unit during a deployment to the Middle East from 2017 to 2018. According to WDSU, she noticed the officer, now Chief Warrant Officer 4 Troy Willis, was the only Black Warrant officer pilot in her unit. She went on to say that seeing her fellow New Orleans native in the cockpit inspired her to become one as well.
Carcia Carson
Carcia Carson, a Jackson State University alumna, became the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University, according to JSU News.
Carson, a Terry native, received her B.S. in physics from Jackson State University in 2014 before enrolling in Fisk University’s Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-PhD Bridge Program, where she earned her master’s degree in physics.
Brandie Medina
Brandie Medina made history at St. Edward’s University by becoming the school’s first Black woman to receive a doctorate. According to the American-Statesman, the 42-year-old mother of four was part of the first cohort to complete the university’s first-ever doctoral program. According to the school’s website, the program was created to prepare students for success in the rapidly changing world of postsecondary education.
Maj. Gen. Lorna Mahlock
Maj. Gen. Lorna Mahlock, a senior officer in the United States Armed Forces, recently made history as the Marine Corps’ first Black female two-star general. According to Military.com, Mahlock’s achievement joins other historic milestones achieved by women and minorities in the military this year.
President Joe Biden nominated Mahlock, who was born in Jamaica, at the beginning of the month. On December 15, the Senate gave its approval for her promotion. Mahlock is the National Security Agency’s deputy director of cybersecurity for combat support.
Mahlock’s historic achievement adds to her other significant accomplishments. In 2018, she became the Marine Corps’ first Black woman to be promoted to the rank of one-star brigadier general. She was also the first female chief information officer in the Marine Corps.
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the 116th Supreme Court justice and the first Black woman to serve on the country’s highest court. After the court issued its final rulings for this term, Jackson took the oath of office on June 30, replacing retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.
In April, the Senate confirmed Jackson to the nine-member bench, giving the United States Supreme Court its first Black female justice in its 233-year history. During a press conference in Delaware in June 2020, US President Joe Biden stated that if given the opportunity, he would like to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court.