History - African American women are rarely recognized as leaders

Exact assignment per the instructor 

African American women are rarely recognized as leaders so we want to bring these women back into history. Of course, we must define what a leader is. Select one leader to write on, but since there are so few, it is quite possible that some of you may choose the same person. The focus of this essay is the period from 1877 through World War II. You must use at least one source from the APUS library or the course bibliography. You may also search online, but if you do, you must use credible sources only (Wikipedia, About.com, blogs etc are not credible sources, for example).  The following links can help you determine which sources are credible or non-credible during your research: Credible vs non-credible sources, Getting Started With Research, Why I Shouldn't Use Wikipedia and Identifying your Resources.

Remember that this is a formal essay of at least 300 words and you need an introduction (with a thesis statement), body, and conclusion. You are required to respond to at least two of your peers. Those responses must be a minimum of 100 words each.  You must cite and use at least one academic source.  Because students must respond, please post your essay as soon as possible.