History identifies the struggles of blacks as being momentous and challenging with the endurance of faith to obtain equalities. Due to two disadvantages, being black and a woman, black women had to fight for rights twice over to earn serious respect.

The conversation surrounding influential moments of black in history often focused on the conditions of black men, leaving the vital efforts of black women by the wayside or untold.

There are countless black women who directly influenced organizing efforts to the Civil Rights Movement, the development arts, diverse culture, advanced education, politics, businesses, and, more importantly, in family life.

Black women’s contributions are very important and should always be a part of black history learning, as well as in topics of interest in the black movement and the continuance progress to achieve equality.

Black women’s struggles have been powerful in such things as motivating voter’s registration, creating black products (e.g. hair care, clothing and cosmetics) and inventions (e.g. curling iron), cultural awakening and all other resolutions to right a society.

Black women have surpassed any other group in both race and gender to the highest in educational gains.

Black women are 13 percent of the United States population that is making the most significant strides in education.

For generations, black teachers have been advocates to promote diverse culture in our school systems in hope that these cultural values will produce the highest level of citizenship and future advance professionals.

Some of our most prestigious schools and colleges were the initiatives of black women who knew how to overcome barriers of civil inequalities and who brought empowerment to education and professional integrity.

When it comes to entrepreneurship in new  businesses or established businesses, national or international, black women reflect a tremendous increase in outpacing most women in bringing new products to consumers, such as cosmetics, hair care, clothing and other commodities.

Black women serve on local, national and international boards in planning and programming capacities; they are CEOs of organizations, recipients of presidential medals of Honor; they introduced black poetry (e.g. Maya Angelou), they generated many scholarships and many other contributions to give direction to future generations.

Some of the many black women who advanced the black race under challenging circumstances are, but not limited to, Hattie McDaniel, Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth, Mary Bethune, Maya Angelou and Della Reese and the women of the Civil Rights Movement.

Charlotte County currently has and has had black women of resources in changing lives through advocating of public policy, healthcare, education, employment civil rights and leadership include Annie B. Mosley, Bessie Lowe and Virginia Venable, and presently, Ruby Gee, past president of the Charlotte County NAACP, Violet Fane, community activist and vice president of the Charlotte County NAACP.

Charlotte County’s first black female mayor is Denise Pridgen of Drakes Branch, Charlotte county’s first black appointed voter registrar is Nan Lambert and Charlotte County’s first black Commissioner of revenue is Naisha Carter. Organizations of black women, such as Alpha Kappa, Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Easter Star of Charlotte County and black Women Ministry provide many contributions to the educational, economical and socialization of our young generation.

Take a look at the changing landscapes of civil rights in America — you will identify the function of black women who played a role in today’s movement. Everybody wants to do something to help, but nobody wants to be the first.

William H. McCargo is a retired teacher, owner of Duck Puddle Childcare and president of the Charlotte County NAACP. He can be reached at mccargoh@gmail.com.