Emily Greene Balch was a social worker, reformer, peace activist and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize of 1946. She founded the Women’s International Committee for Permanent Peace, later known as the Women’s International League for Peace of Freedom (WILPF), and was better known for her involvement in activist movements for racial justice, women’s suffrage, child labor, working conditions, fair wages, and, in particular, the pursuance of peace.
On September 4, 1952, before Brown v. Board of Education case was issued, she and friend, Mollie Ann Meyers, sent their applications to the University of Alabama. Realizing that Lucy and Myers were African American, on September 20, 1952, were told that the university had made a mistake and not welcome. Lucy fought the situation in court with the NAACP for almost three years and won on June 29, 1955.
Pearl S. Buck was born Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker on June 26, 1892 in Hillsboro, West Virginia. She wrote over 80 books, was the first woman to be awarded both the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize in literature and was active in American civil rights and women's rights activities.
Driven by courage, intelligence, and a will to succeed that would make her neglect her husbands, children and family, Helena Rubinstein built a beauty empire. She was born Chaja Rubinstein, and at the age of 24 set off to Australia aboard the Prinz Regent Luitpol with twelve jars of face cream.
Mahalia Jackson was born October 26, 1911 in the Black Pearl section New Orleans. Raised by her mother until she was five years old, she grew up in what she called an "old shotgun shack" at Audubon streets between the railroad tracks and the Mississippi River levee. During her lifetime, she would perform for kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers and kept going back to sing in churches for the people who loved her voice first.
