page_title: Black women
section_title: Black women in popular culture
hierarchical_section_title: Black women / United States / Black women in popular culture
caption_attribution_description: English: The Congressional Black Caucus now has the most members in its history, thanks in part to these amazing newly-elected women.
context_page_description: Black women are women who are of Sub-Saharan African and Afro-diasporic descent. The term black women is both a multi-faceted cultural identity and a social construct with different meanings in different places.
context_section_description: Notable black women in US popular culture include, but are not limited to, the following:
  Harriet Tubman: Born in the early 19th century in the former slave state of Maryland, Tubman is widely regarded for helping many African-American slaves to escape slavery via the Underground Railroad. According to PBS, Tubman risked her own life "19 times by 1860" in order to save other slaves and return them to the North during the American Civil War. Prior to being married, Tubman's name was Araminta Ross and she was also a nurse, cook and spy for the Northern Army during the Civil War.
  Ella Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald, an American Jazz singer born in 1917, was given the title of "The First Lady of Song." Fitzgerald is also known as the Queen of Jazz and won 13 Grammys for her vocal performances over the course of her life. In the music community, Fitzgerald is known for her four octave vocal range and for being a scat-singer. Additionally, Fitzgerald was capable of performing music in a multitude of genres, including swing and bop. Like many black artists at the time, Fitzgerald performed at the Apollo Theater in New York City.
  Billie Holiday: Similar to Fitzgerald, Holiday, born as Eleanora Fagan, remains an important figure within the history of jazz music in America. Influenced by Louis Armstrong, Holiday's vocal range was limited yet she is known for her thin, light voice that has a punch to it. Holiday is featured on the track "A Sailboat in the Moonlight" which was a number one hit when it was released and remains popular today,.
  : Queen Latifah: Real name Dana Elaine Owens, Queen Latifah is an American singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. She has released 7 solo studio albums in addition to 1 compilation album. She is known for her energetic, smooth, and skillful rapping style. In 1993, her acting career took off with her starring role as Khadijah James on the FOX television series Living Single. From there, Owens obtained supporting roles in the films House Party 2 (1991), Jungle Fever (1991), and Juice (1992). Since then, Owens has achieved superstar status as a talk show host (The Queen Latifah Show) and mainstream actor (Chicago (2002), Bringing Down the House (2003), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Taxi (2004), Hairspray (2007) and many more).
  Oprah Winfrey: One of the most famous women on the planet, Oprah Winfrey is a TV host/producer, philanthropist, and media mogul. She is perhaps best known for The Oprah Winfrey Show, which has run for 25 seasons since 1986 and maintained a weekly viewership well into the tens of millions. She is the namesake of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which produces content largely targeted at black audiences. According to Forbes, she has a current net worth of approximately 2.7 billion USD, one of the wealthiest self-made fortunes of all time.
  Beyoncé: Full name Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, Beyoncé is an American singer, songwriter, producer, philanthropist, dancer, and actor. Her first major venture in the music industry was as the frontwoman of Destiny's Child. The group released 5 studio albums from 1998 to 2004. As a solo act, she has released 9 studio albums from 2003 to 2019.
caption: Congressional Black Caucus women in 2019
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