Greater Grove Hall Main Streetscorp

The Black Women Lead Banner Project is an initiative of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets. We are raising $40,000, to cover project-related costs not covered by prior grants, to make the content more accessible and useful to teachers, and to start raising money for the selection of the next 200 women. The banners currently hang from light poles along two miles of Blue Hill Ave in Dorchester, where children are inspired by them, residents enjoy their beautification of the neighborhood, and 20,000 cars pass them daily.

The Black Women Lead Banner Project – A project to honor the collective accomplishments of Black women, in every area of life, in the greater Boston area since the 1700s. The project celebrates community, self-efficacy, and is a first step in educating children on the legacy of Black women, and changing the narrative. concerning Black women. This comes at a time when Black history is threatened, ignored, or misrepresented.

The 200 selected women come from every profession, social class, political and faith tradition, and sexual orientation. Over the last several centuries, Black women have overcome barriers to go from abolitionists, suffragists and subject to the fugitive slave law and become elected officials at the city, state, and federal levels. Black women have now reached the highest levels of success in numerous areas.

The project has been featured on channels such as WBZ TV-4, below

WCVB- TV-5, WHDH-7, Boston 25 News, The Boston Globe and Boston Herald, and has been featured in national publications such as Black Enterprise magazine.

Pictured below are the honorees and their families at the Massachusetts State House, where they received citations from State Rep. Chris Worrell and City Councilor Brian Worrell.

"I realized that this project was bigger than me. It was part reunion, celebration and being in a room of women warriors and legends inspired the young ladies from Mother Caroline Academy and Pope John Paul ll Catholic Academy. I hope other cities and towns can find ways to visibly recognize the contribution of Black women to their cities and towns."

List of 2023 Black Women Lead Honorees

1 Adelaide M. Cromwell, Ph.D

2 Adrienne R. Benton

3 Adrienne Smith

4 Alfreda Harris

5 Alice A. Casneau

6 Andrea Bradford

7 Andrea Campbell, JD

8 Andrea Herbert Major

9 Andrea J. Cabral, JD

10 Andrea L. Taylor

11 Angela Paige Cook, PH.D

12 Ann Hobson Pilot

13 Anna Bobbit Gardner

14 Anna Faith Jones

15 Anna Mae Cole

16 Audrea F. Jones Dunham, PH.D

17 Barbara Clark Elam

18 Barbara Gomes Beach

19 Barbara Smith

20 Belinda Sutton

21 Benaree P. Wiley

22 Berthé M. Gaines

23 Betty Jane Lesueur Wornum

24 Beulah Providence

25 Beulah S. Hester

26 Beverley Johnson

27 Bishop Barbara C. Harris

28 Bishop Nellie Yarborough

29 Blanche E. Braxton

30 Carmen Fields

31 Carol Fulp

32 Carole Copeland Thomas

33 Carolyn Wilkins

34 Charlene Carroll

35 Charlotte Forten Grimké

36 Charlotte Matthews-Nelson

37 Ché Madyun

38 Chloe Spear

39 Chrystal Kornegay

40 Clementina "Tina" Chéry

41 Cleora Carter Francis

42 Colette Phillips

43 Cora Reid McKerrow

44 Danielle Susan Allen, PH.D

45 DeAma Battle

46 Deborah C. Jackson

47 Deborah Prothrow-Stith, MD

48 Det. Dorothy E. Harrison

49 Dianne "Lady Di" Walker

50 Doris Bland

51 Dorothy Haskins

52 Dorothy West

53 E. Alice Taylor

54 Edna C. Robinson Brown, DDM

55 Edna J. Swan

56 Edna V. Bynoe

57 Ekua Holmes

58 Elaine Weddington Steward

59 Eliza Ann Gardner

60 Elizabeth "Beth" Williams

61 Elizabeth "Mum Bett” Freeman

62 Elizabeth Blakeley

63 Elizabeth Cook Riley

64 Ella Little-Collins

65 Ellen Banks

66 Ellen Swepson Jackson

67 Elma Lewis

68 Elta Garrett

69 Elva Lee C. Abdal-Khallaq

70 Estella Lee Crosby

71 Estelle Ancrum Forster

72 Eva Mitchell

73 Evelynn M. Hammonds, Ph.D

74 Fannie Barrier Williams

75 Fern L. Cunningham-Terry

76 Florence "Florrie" LeSueur

77 Florence B. Price

78 Florence Hagins

79 Florida Ruffin Ridley

80 Frances Carolyn Harris

81 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

82 Frances J. Bonner, M.D.

83 Frederica M. Williams

84 Gail Snowden

85 Georgette Watson

86 Geraldine Pindell Trotter

87 Gladys A. Moore Perdue

88 Gladys Holmes

89 Glendora Mcilwain Putnam, JD

90 Gloria Smith

91 Gwendolyn “Gwen” Ifill

92 Harriet Bell Hayden

93 Harriet Jacobs

94 Isabella Holmes

95 Isaura Mendes

96 Jackie Jenkins-Scott

97 Jane Clark Putnam

98 Jane Johnson

99 Jacqui Jones Hoard

100 Jean McGuire

101 Jessie G. Garnett, DDM

102 Joan Wallace-Benjamin, Ph.D

103 Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin

104 Joyce Ferriabough Bolling

105 Juanita Brooks Wade

106 Judge Barbara A. Dortch-Okara

107 Judge Geraldine S. Hines

108 Judge Joyce London Alexander

109 Judge Judith Nelson Dilday

110 Judge Kimberly S. Budd

111 JudyAnn Bigby, MD

112 Karen Holmes Ward

113 Karen Miller

114 Karilyn Crockett, Ph.D

115 Katherine "Kittie" Knox

116 Kem Danner

117 Lani Guinier, JD

118 Laura Younger

119 Leah Randolph

120 Letitia Campfield

121 Lilla G. Frederick

122 Lillian A. Lewis

123 Lisa Simmons

124 L'Merchie Frazier

125 Louise Wells Corbin

126 Lucy Miller Mitchell

127 Lucy Terry Prince

128 Lula "Mama" Christopher

129 Madam Mary L. Johnson

130 Mallika Marshall, MD

131 Mamie Nell "Mimi" Jones

132 Margaret A. Burnham, LL.B

133 Margaret Moseley

134 Maria Louise Baldwin

135 Maria W. Stewart

136 Marian L. Heard

137 Marilyn Anderson Chase

138 Marita Rivero

139 Mary Crutchfield Thompson, DDM

140 Mary Edmonia Lewis

141 Mary Eliza Mahoney

142 Mary Evans Wilson

143 Mattie B. Powell

144 Mattie Lee Washington

145 Mattie May Adams

146 Maud Cuney Hare

147 Maud Trotter Steward

148 Maude Hurd

148 Mayor Kim Janey

150 Melnea A. Cass

151 Mildred C. Hailey

152 Mildred Davenport

153 Mildred Fay Jefferson, MD

154 Miriam Manning

155 Mukiya Baker-Gomez

156 Muriel S. Snowden

157 Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD

158 Nadine Fortune Wright

159 Nancy Gardner Prince

160 Nellie Brown Mitchell

161 Nora L. Baston

162 Olive Lee Benson

163 Patricia Ann Raynor

164 Paula A. Johnson, MD

165 Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins

166 Peggy Olivia Brown, ED.D

167 Phillis Wheatley

168 Priscilla H. Douglas, Ed.D

169 Rachael S. Rollins, JD.

170 Rachel M. Washington

171 Rebecca Lee Crumpler, MD

172 Rebecca Parker Clarke

173 Rep. Ayanna Pressley

174 Rep. Charlotte Golar Richie

175 Rep. Doris Bunte

176 Rep. Gloria L. Fox

177 Rep. Mary H. Goode

178 Rep. Saundra Graham

179 Rep. Shirley Owens-Hicks

180 Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, MD

181 Rev. Liz Walker

182 Rubina Ann Guscott

183 Ruth E. Hamilton

184 Ruth Edmonds Hill

185 Ruth M. Batson

186 Sandra B. Henriquez

187 Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Ed.D

188 Sarah Parker Remond

189 Sarah Sella Martin

190 Sarah Sella Martin

191 Sarah-Ann Shaw

192 Savina J. Martin

193 Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, JD

194 Shaumba-Yandje Dibinga

195 Shirley Carrington

196 Shirley Shillingford

197 Sister Nellie S. Harris

198 Sister Virginia Morrison

199 Susan Paul

200 Susie King Taylor

201 Teri Williams

202 Terri Lyne Carrington

203 Thea L. James, MD

204 Thelma D. Burns

205 Tommiejo "Ma" Dixon

206 Tulaine Marshal Montgomery

207 Valerie Mosley

208 Valerie Shelley

209 Vivian Male

210 Wilhelmina M. Crosson

211 Zakiya Alake

212 Zipporah Potter Atkins

Additional Media Coverage

Portraits honor Boston's Black women leaders in Roxbury - WBZ TV-4 CBS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVoJjca-3Q8

Organizers hope to inspire next generation with banners honoring iconic Black women in Boston – WHDH TV -7

https://whdh.com/news/organizers-hope-to-inspire-next-generation-with-banners-honoring-iconic-black-women-in-boston/#:~:text=BOSTON%20(WHDH)%20%2D%20History%20is,own%20legacy%20in%20the%20city.

Black women leaders honored with street pole banners in Grove Hall – Boston News 25

https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/black-women-leaders-honored-with-street-pole-banners-grove-hall/TETGQEVIIJCABIAK3TSVCBFYQE/

Boston Honors Prominent Black Women Leaders with Banners on Blue Hill Ave. - Black Enterprise Magazine

https://www.blackenterprise.com/boston-honors-prominent-black-women-with-banners-on-blue-hill-avenue/

Blue Hill Ave. banners honor Black women leaders, Bay State Banner

https://www.baystatebanner.com/2023/10/11/blue-hill-ave-banners-honor-black-women-leaders/

Interview with Ed Gaskin and Kamali Thornell, Black Women Lead Banner Project - BNN News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y0_5RryRQA

The MAMLEO Broadcast on Boston Praise Radio & TV - WBPG-LP 102.9 FM (Starting at 9:59)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K3kE5-LYY4

Healing Our Land Broadcast on Boston Praise Radio & TV - WBPG-LP 102.9 FM (Starting at 48::35)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ZnywQI8VI

Ed Gaskin

Executive Director

Greater Grove Hall Main Streets