Louise DeKoven was born in Chicago, IL, as an only child to an elite family. Although she had a privileged and wealthy life, she grew up with social conscience, dedicating herself to the community. At 16, after graduating from Dearborn Seminary, she taught Sunday school at St. James Episcopal Church, working with unprivileged boys and establishing a boy’s club for them. There, she became frustrated with the church’s boundaries for women. At 27, she married Joseph Tilton Bowen, and their mansion at Astor St. became a gathering place for social and political meetings. At the age of 35, she started working at the Hull House settlement house, where she led its Women’s Club and eventually served as its trustee and treasurer, a position she held for 53 years. She was the organizations’ primary donor, and in 1912, after her husband had died, she founded a summer camp for the children of Hull-House and donated 72 acres for its establishment. When Jane Addams died, she became the president of the Hall House. She used her status and connections to influence politicians and to raise money for various social causes. She was one of the most influential people to advocate for a juvenile court in Chicago. When it opened in 1899, it became the first juvenile court in the US, and she immediately became a member of its committee, then its top officer, and when it reorganized into the Juvenile Protective Association, she was appointed as its first president. In the 35 years she held this position, she examined various issues, including racial prejudice, working conditions, and prostitution. She was also a women’s rights activist, serving in numerous organizations in key positions, including president of the Chicago Equal Suffrage Association, auditor of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association, vice president of the Illinois Suffrage Association, and president of the Chicago Woman’s Club. During WW1, she was the only woman appointed to the Illinois Council of Defense, in which she coordinated women throughout the state to support the war effort. In 1916, amid a rainstorm, she led a march of 5000 women to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. This parade of women demanding their civil right to vote marked a shift in the approach toward the cause and the movement. After the ratification of the 19th amendment, she worked tirelessly, convincing women to register to vote and encouraging them to run to public office. She remained active until she died at the age of 94. Read more...

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, to a free African-American blacksmith. At age 21, she met her future husband, John Jones, who came to the city to be a tailor’s apprentice. Soon after, she moved with her family to Alton, Illinois, and the couple had to separate. Three years later, after completing his apprenticeship requirements, he followed her to Alton, and they got married. The following year, after giving birth to her daughter Lavinia, they wanted to move to Chicago, but to do so, they had to post a $1000 bond for their certificate of freedom, which allowed them to travel as free people. They were among the only 140 black people in the city. Shortly after they settled in, her husband opened a small tailoring shop – the first establishment owned by an African-American. Over time, the business grew and served many of the city’s elite. The Joneses dedicated their lives to fight for freedom, equality, and justice, and together they became leading figures in the abolitionist movement. Their home in 116 Edinah street was a gathering place as well as the second stop of the underground railroad, helping hundreds of escaped slaves on their way to Canada. The couple was among the founders of Olivet Baptists church – the second oldest church in Chicago. They donated money for various causes and land to build a school for their community. After the Civil War, she joined the suffrage movement, one of the first African-American women to advocate for their right to vote. She died at the age of 89. Her gravestone reads ‘Grandma Jones’ – a commemoration of her status within the community.   Read about more inspiring African-American women: Read more...

Oprah Winfrey is a living icon of the American dream, rising to enormous fame and wealth from an underprivileged, impoverished, abusive background. She grew up frequently moving between her parents’ separate homes and her grandmother in rural Mississippi. She learned to read and write in the early age of three, and was a keen learner, being promoted several grades in school. Winfrey found her calling in mass communication when during high school drama rehearsal, a local radio show offered her internship. Her big breakthrough came when invited to host a talk show in Chicago, and its name fast changed to ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ and remained so for 25 years, with 30,000 guests, 40 million viewers a week in 150 countries. Thanks to her fresh emotional style, it was ranked the most popular talk show in the world and won multiple awards. In the show’s finale in 2011, Oprah proudly testified not missing a single day of the 4561 days the show was on the air. She proved to be a skilled businesswoman, in addition to an innovative producer and inspirational personality. Today her company owns a cable network, a digital platform, online school, the biggest book club in the world, and a philanthropic foundation. She has a private airplane, five homes, and a magazine called O, with herself starring on the cover of each issue. She even has a law named after her – Oprah Bill – aimed at stopping child abuse. Her life partner since 1986 is Stedman Graham, a best-selling writer of motivational books. She lost a newborn baby at fourteen and declared she does not want children. Read more...