Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) celebrates 2017 Black History Month.

1. Girl Scouts has a long history of being
inclusive and serving as a platform for all
girls’ voices, regardless of their background.
So, it’s not surprising that the first African
American Girl Scout troop was founded in
1917—just five years after our inception. This
February, in honor of Black History Month,
join us as we celebrate all girls as well as
historical G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-
taker, Leader)™ hard-hitters who inspired true
leadership and courage.

2. Girl Scouts has been an inclusive
organization from its inception and, at
the height of the Civil Rights Movement,
the organization was recognized for its
contribution to social good.

3. Marian Wright Edelman—a renowned activist
who has been leading the fight for children’s
rights for more than 40 years and was the
first African American woman admitted to the
Mississippi bar.

4. Ida B. Wells-Barnett was one of the country’s
most influential African American journalist,
newspaper editor, and leader for women’s
suffrage. Her work documenting lynching in
the United States brought the horrific crime
into the public dialogue, fueling anti-lynching
efforts.

5. Politician and humanitarian Graça Machel
is an international leader and advocate for
women’s and children’s rights. She is the
widow of former South African President
Nelson Mandela and former Mozambican
President Samora Machel, making her the
only woman to have served as first lady of
two distinct republics.

6. American author and activist Coretta Scott
King, alongside her husband, Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., helped lead the Civil Rights Movement
in the 1960s. After her husband’s tragic death,
she took the reins and continued to lead
the fight for racial and gender equality. Her
actions effectively played a prominent role in
civil rights legislation.

7. Serena Williams’ go-getting attitude and
success in professional tennis has led some
commentators, players, and sports writers
to regard her as the greatest female tennis
player of all time—she has been ranked first
in the Women’s Tennis Association seven
times and was listed as the highest paid
female athlete in 2016. Today she continues
to be a role model and inspiration for girls
everywhere.

8. Harriet Tubman risked her own life to lead
other slaves to freedom through her famous
Underground Railroad—it is estimated she
helped as many as 300 slaves escape. Her
heroic actions made her a wanted woman
with the price on her head reaching $40,000.
She later went on to work as a nurse and a
spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.
In 1973, Harriet Tubman was inducted into
the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and just
last year, it was announced that she will be
replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.