{"id":18317,"date":"2023-03-01T10:44:54","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T16:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wearememphis.com\/?p=18317"},"modified":"2024-12-06T11:43:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T17:43:18","slug":"womens-history-month-trailblazing-women-in-memphis-past-and-present","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wearememphis.com\/play\/womens-history-month-trailblazing-women-in-memphis-past-and-present\/","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s History Month: Trailblazing Women in Memphis, Past and Present"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many notable women have called Memphis<\/a> their home, and it\u2019s because of these trailblazers that the way has been paved for more to make history. The city is full of soul, and our Soul<\/a> series aims to shine a light on all the ways that the 901 is made better by the people in it. Let\u2019s take a look at some of the incredible women, both past and present, who have changed this city.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ida B. Wells<\/span><\/h2>\n

Though this activist was from Holly Springs, MS, Ida B. Wells spent a decade in Memphis and helped shape the landscape of the civil rights movement. She was also one of the founders of the NAACP and aimed to shed light on the conditions of Black people throughout the South through her investigative journalism.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Estelle Axton<\/span><\/h2>\n

Co-founder of Stax Records, Estelle Axton helped in finding and promoting artists that would revitalize the Memphis music scene \u2013 Rufus and Carla Thomas, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, Booker T & the MGs, and Isaac Hayes. After leaving Stax Records in the 70s, she founded the Memphis Songwriters Association and co-founded the Memphis Music Association.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Maxine Smith<\/span><\/h2>\n

Maxine Smith challenged racial inequality throughout her life and became one of the first female members of the Memphis NAACP board. She was presented with the Freedom Award by the National Civil Rights Museum in 2003, and the Maxine Smith STEAM Academy was named in her honor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jennifer Elaine<\/span><\/h2>\n

Jenn owns a local art gallery and is a self-taught artist. Her focus is on Black art that illustrates \u201cthe beauty, power, dopeness, and resilience of Black women.\u201d Her gallery also showcases other Black artists, and you can find her work <\/span>online<\/span><\/a> or in person at the Orijennal Art Gallery in Cordova.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Julien Baker<\/span><\/h2>\n

A singer and songwriter local to Memphis, Julien Baker has released a number of studio albums, has performed on late-night shows, and has gone on tour with many notable bands in the genre. She also joined the indie supergroup, along with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, known as Boygenius.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

GloRilla<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another famous musician making her way in the industry is GloRilla, a rapper with a Grammy-nominated performance for her song F.N.F. She\u2019s been a featured artist on songs with Latto, Ciara, and other prominent musicians in both rap and R&B.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You also might be interested in: Memphis Ambassadors Program – We Are Memphis<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many notable women have called Memphis their home, and it\u2019s because of these trailblazers that the way has been paved for more to make history. The city is full of soul, and our Soul series aims to shine a light on all the ways that the 901 is made better by the people in it.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18402,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[15,5452,5425,5306,5494],"class_list":["post-18317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-play","tag-featured","tag-featured-memphian","tag-we-are-memphis","tag-women-owned","tag-womens-history-month"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTrailblazing Women in Memphis History<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Celebrate the remarkable women who shaped Memphis' past and continue to inspire today.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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