Women Pioneers

How do local leaders arise from a community need? Which doctors have shaped the history of public health in New York City? How did Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell go from abject poverty and social mockery to founding her very own hospital? Elizabeth Blackwell was the third of nine children, born in Bristol, England to a Quaker…

What makes a sports legend? What is the measure of a successful career? Why isn’t Althea Gibson a household name? Althea Gibson was born in South Carolina in 1927, where her parents worked on a cotton farm as sharecroppers. When Althea was 3, the Great Depression hit and the family moved to Harlem. Their apartment was on 143rd Street between Lenox and 7th, a designated Police Athletic Area, where traffic was blocked off so children could play organized sports throughout the day. It was on this very street that Althea mastered paddle tennis, becoming the NYC women’s champion by 12. She played in the American Tennis Association tournament at age 14. She won the New York State title and went on to compete on a national level, winning 10 consecutive titles after 1946. Her massive successes drew attention from people…