This week marks pivotal moments in the long march toward justice. On February 12, 1909, the NAACP was founded—an institution born from the courage of Black intellectuals and allies determined to dismantle racial violence and inequality.

We also honor Marian Anderson, the trailblazing contralto whose legendary 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert broke barriers in the arts, and Eunice Carter, the brilliant prosecutor whose legal strategy helped dismantle organized crime in 1930s New York. These stories affirm that Black women have always been architects of American progress.

The Founding of the NAACP

In response to the horrific lynching in Springfield, Illinois, a multiracial group of activists came together to form the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Among the founding members were Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell, whose tireless advocacy laid the groundwork for the civil rights victories of the 20th century. Today, the NAACP remains the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization.

Marian Anderson: A Voice for Freedom

When the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Marian Anderson the right to perform at Constitution Hall because of her race, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the organization, and the federal government arranged for Anderson to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On Easter Sunday, 1939, 75,000 people gathered to hear her sing "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," a moment that became a symbol of the struggle for racial equality.

Eunice Carter: The Prosecutor Who Took Down the Mob

Eunice Carter was one of New York's first Black female lawyers and a key prosecutor in the trial of Lucky Luciano. It was her investigation and strategy that linked the mob boss to a prostitution ring, leading to the most successful prosecution of organized crime in U.S. history. Her brilliance and bravery in the face of danger exemplify the power of Black women in the legal profession.