Anthropology

Hurston (1891-1960) was a novelist, poet, anthropologist, and folklorist who documented life across the African diaspora and stood as a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Her work focused on Black cultural traditions, spirituality, and the vibrant dynamics of Black communities across the Americas. Her most well known works were Their Eyes Were Watching God, Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica, and Mules and Men.

Known as the "Queen Mother" and "Matriarch of Black Dance", Dunham (1909-2006) pioneered a new form of artistic expression by fusing her anthropological studies of Caribbean cultures with modern dance techniques, creating the Dunham Technique which is still widely taught today. She formed one of the first black ballet companies, the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, through which she showcased the beauty and power of the Dunham Technique's African diasporic dance movements. One of the company's celebrated works was the 1948 piece Caribbean Rhapsody, which featured a remarkable performance by the then 21-year-old Eartha Kitt. The company also achieved acclaim through Broadway and Hollywood performances that brought the Dunham Technique to global audiences.

Librarian, Collector, Historian.

Clubwoman

Cole (1936) was the first Black woman to serve as President of Spelman College.

Anthropologist, Actress, Chemist, Activist!