Hats off to Black excellence

By Guest Columnist Daphne Johnson-Sims

Ethel Waters (1896-1977) - singer and actress who became the first Black woman performer to appear on national TV. Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award. The Ethel Waters Show was aired on NBC in 1939.  Her singing was based in blues tradition.

Katherine Johnson graduated from college at the age of 18 and began working in aeronautics and for NASA. Katherine Johnson performed the calculations that sent astronauts into orbit and eventually to the moon in 1969. In 2015, Katherine was awarded the Presidental Medal of Freedom by President Obama.

Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) was a singer, songwriter, and activist. Also known as  the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha was ranked ninth in Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Franklin won 18 Grammy Awards. She was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Rosalind Brewer, 58, is Walgreen’s next CEO and the only Black woman to currently lead a Fortune 500 firm. A long-time executive in corporate America, Brewer admits many challenges climbing the ladder. As Walgreen’s next CEO, Brewer will be responsible for improving the company’s revenue.