The year 2014 isn’t over yet, but it’s safe to say black women have been shattering news headlines and the Internet with back-to-back career accomplishments and awards that have earned them each a spot in history books.
From the recent news of Philadelphia’s 13-year-old Mo’Ne Davis taking her baseball team to the Little League World Series, to Tamron Hall, pictured left, making history as the first black woman to co-anchor the “Today” show, we’ve rounded up a list of power women whose 2014 boss moves have put them in the No. 1 spot.
Keke Palmer
Many may credit Keke Palmer’s role in “Akeelah and the Bee” as her claim to fame, but the young entertainer and entrepreneur is proving that she knows how to do way more than just win a spelling bee.
At 20 years-old, Palmer has her own BET show called “Just Keke,” making her the youngest talk show host in television history. And as if that wasn’t enough, Palmer has just made history again as the first black woman to play Cinderella on Broadway. Talk about hustling hard!
Michelle Howard
After becoming the first African American woman to serve as a three-star officer in the U.S. military and command a U.S. Navy ship, Howard made history again in July of this year when she was promoted from vice admiral to admiral, making her the first female four-star admiral and first African American to hold that position.
Her outstanding accomplishments have earned her major recognition, including a 2013 Chairman’s Award recipient at the NAACP Image Awards.
Audra McDonald
Audra McDonald made Broadway history this year when she won her sixth Tony Award for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.”
In her speech, she paid homage to the prominent black women that came before her saying, “I stand on Lena Horne’s shoulders. I am standing on Maya Angelou’s shoulders. I am standing on Diahann Carroll and Ruby Dee, and most of all, Billie Holiday.”
Erika James
In May, Emory University announced Erika H. James, Ph.D. as the new dean of Goizueta Business School, making her the first African American female to hold that position in school history.
James is a former associate dean for executive education at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, and she also served as a former consultant for several Fortune 500 companies.
Paulette Brown
Paulette Brown has been practicing law since 1976, and earlier this year she made history as the first African American female president of the American Bar Association.
A graduate of Howard University and Seton Hall University School of Law, Brown will serve as president-elect for one year before fully taking over the position in August 2015.
Lupita Nyong’o
This year has no doubt been “the year of Lupita.” In addition to killing red carpets and becoming everyone’s favorite “It Girl,” this Oscar-winning beauty is also the first black spokesperson for Lancome. And as if that isn’t enough, Nyong’o is also making history as the first black woman to appear in a “Star Wars” movie.
Let’s just say we will be seeing a lot more of Nyong’o in the future and we have absolutely no complaints about it.
Amber Ruffin
In the more than seven decades of late night talk shows, Amber Ruffin is making history as the first black female writer – or any female of color -to join the staff of a network late night talk show on “Late Night” with Seth Meyers.
Ruffin is an experienced comedienne and actress, and an alumnus of Chicago’s iO Theater and a former performer at the popular Second City comedy club.
Ivy Taylor
Yale University alum Ivy Taylor made history in the political arena this year as the first black woman to become mayor of San Antonio, Texas. She is slated to fulfill the remainder of Julian Castro’s term, as he has been named secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for President Barack Obama’s Cabinet.
Sasheer Zamata
Sasheer Zamata made history this year as the first black woman in six years to join the cast of “Saturday Night Live.”
The actress, writer, and comedienne is a graduate of the University of Virgina and she made her SNL debut in January of this year alongside hip-hop artist Drake.