Pioneers: Black Women Who Did It First

These stars have made giant leaps for womankind.

Pioneer Women: Black Entertainers Who Did It First  - From Taraji to Beyoncé to the amazing Viola Davis, women have always found a way to dominate in a man's world. To celebrate Women's History Month, we're calling out Black women who have broken ground in entertainment. These trailblazers used their beauty, talent and brains to put some major cracks in the proverbial glass ceiling.(Photo from left: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

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Pioneer Women: Black Entertainers Who Did It First  - From Taraji to Beyoncé to the amazing Viola Davis, women have always found a way to dominate in a man's world. To celebrate Women's History Month, we're calling out Black women who have broken ground in entertainment. These trailblazers used their beauty, talent and brains to put some major cracks in the proverbial glass ceiling.(Photo from left: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo from left: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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Viola Davis - The Fences and How to Get Away With Murder actress made history on Sunday by becoming the first Black woman to win acting awards at the Oscars, Emmys and Tonys.  (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

Photo By (Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Taraji P. Henson - Though she lost to Viola for Best Actress at the Emmys, Taraji got her chance to make history at the Golden Globes. The Empire star won her first-ever Globe for her portrayal of Cookie Lyon on the hit series and used her acceptance speech to remind Hollywood how long she's waited and how far she's come.(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Taraji P. Henson - Though she lost to Viola for Best Actress at the Emmys, Taraji got her chance to make history at the Golden Globes. The Empire star won her first-ever Globe for her portrayal of Cookie Lyon on the hit series and used her acceptance speech to remind Hollywood how long she's waited and how far she's come.(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Rihanna - Known for her bold fashion choices, the pop star became the first Black woman to be the face of fashion house Dior, taking the internet by storm with a gorgeous "Secret Garden" ad. She was also named Harvard's Humanitarian of the Year this year.(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Madam President - Earlier this year, Cheryl Boone Isaacs won another one-year term as president of the Motion Picture Academy. Her previous win made her the first African-American and the third woman to serve as president in the Academy's 87-year history. She was also inducted into the NAACP's Hall of Fame and received Essence's Trailblazer Award! #Boss(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Cheryl Boone Isaacs  - This former marketing and publicity executive broke into the boy's club of Hollywood when she was named the first woman of color (and, indeed, only the sixth woman overall) to be named president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. If this year's Academy Award nominations are any indication, Isaacs managed to make some headway into the industry's diversity problem. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Halle Berry  - Berry made history in 2002 as the first Black woman to ever win the Best Actress award at the Oscars (for her performance in Monster's Ball). But it was her emotional acceptance speech that grabbed headlines the following day. Said Berry, "This moment is so much bigger than me. It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Halle Berry  - Berry made history in 2002 as the first Black woman to ever win the Best Actress award at the Oscars (for her performance in Monster's Ball). But it was her emotional acceptance speech that grabbed headlines the following day. Said Berry, "This moment is so much bigger than me. It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Beyoncé  - Queen Bey is not just a pretty face. The pop star was the first Black woman to win the ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year Award in 2001. She was only the second woman overall to win the prestigious prize. Last year, she and sister Solange Knowles joined an elite group of siblings to each have Billboard No. 1 albums. (Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage)

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Beyoncé  - Queen Bey is not just a pretty face. The pop star was the first Black woman to win the ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year Award in 2001. She was only the second woman overall to win the prestigious prize. Last year, she and sister Solange Knowles joined an elite group of siblings to each have Billboard No. 1 albums. (Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage)

Tyra Banks - In 1997, at the peak of her modeling career, Banks raised the bar by becoming the first Black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The illustrious cover cemented her status as a supermodel and a trailblazer.(Photo: Russell James/Sports Illustrated Magazine, February 1997)

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Tyra Banks - In 1997, at the peak of her modeling career, Banks raised the bar by becoming the first Black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The illustrious cover cemented her status as a supermodel and a trailblazer.(Photo: Russell James/Sports Illustrated Magazine, February 1997)

Aretha Franklin  - In 1987, nearly two decades after being anointed the Queen of Soul, Franklin became the first woman in history to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Talk about R-E-S-P-E-C-T!      (Photo: Susan Ragan /Landov)

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Aretha Franklin  - In 1987, nearly two decades after being anointed the Queen of Soul, Franklin became the first woman in history to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Talk about R-E-S-P-E-C-T!      (Photo: Susan Ragan /Landov)

Vanessa Williams - On September 17, 1983, Vanessa Williams broke color barriers and made history by becoming the first black Miss America. Upon winning, Williams faced a swarm of hate mail and racist comments. "I never imagined I'd be that depressed about being Miss America," Williams said. But the drama didn't stop there. Williams's reign ended early due to nude photos published of her in Penthouse magazine. But she rebounded with confidence and went on to have a career in films, television and music that is going strong to this day.(Photo: NBCU Photo Bank)

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Vanessa Williams - On September 17, 1983, Vanessa Williams broke color barriers and made history by becoming the first black Miss America. Upon winning, Williams faced a swarm of hate mail and racist comments. "I never imagined I'd be that depressed about being Miss America," Williams said. But the drama didn't stop there. Williams's reign ended early due to nude photos published of her in Penthouse magazine. But she rebounded with confidence and went on to have a career in films, television and music that is going strong to this day.(Photo: NBCU Photo Bank)

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Good Times - A devout Christian and devoted mother and wife, Esther Rolle's Florida Evans weathered many storms with a look up to the sky in prayer. No matter what her project-habitating family dealt with, they always came out shining in the end. Rolle died November 17, 1998.  (Photo: CBS/Landov)

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Esther Rolle  - The Good Times actress made history in 1979 when she became the first Black woman to win Best Supporting Actress at the Emmy Awards.   (Photo: CBS/Landov)

Cicely Tyson  - In 1974, a few years before Esther Rolle's landmark win, Tyson became the first Black woman to win a Best Actress in a Television Movie or Miniseries Emmy for her leading role in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.  (Photo: CBS/Landov)

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Cicely Tyson  - In 1974, a few years before Esther Rolle's landmark win, Tyson became the first Black woman to win a Best Actress in a Television Movie or Miniseries Emmy for her leading role in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.  (Photo: CBS/Landov)

Beverly Johnson  - In 1974, long before anyone had coined the term "supermodel," this New York native became part of the fashion elite as the first Black woman to grace the cover of Vogue. (Photo: Vogue Magazine, August 1974)

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Beverly Johnson  - In 1974, long before anyone had coined the term "supermodel," this New York native became part of the fashion elite as the first Black woman to grace the cover of Vogue. (Photo: Vogue Magazine, August 1974)

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Ethel Waters  - She paved the way for Olivia Pope! In 1939, Waters became the first Black woman to headline her own television show, The Ethel Waters Show.   (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Whitney Houston  - Nippy is still the most awarded female artist of all time (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) and one of the best-selling female artists of all time with seven consecutive Billboard No. 1 hits, but you can add this to the long list of the late pop star's accomplishments: in 1981, Houston became the first Black woman to land the cover of Seventeen magazine.(Photo: Seventeen Magazine, November 1981)

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Whitney Houston  - Nippy is still the most awarded female artist of all time (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) and one of the best-selling female artists of all time with seven consecutive Billboard No. 1 hits, but you can add this to the long list of the late pop star's accomplishments: in 1981, Houston became the first Black woman to land the cover of Seventeen magazine.(Photo: Seventeen Magazine, November 1981)

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Ella Fitzgerald - Fitzgerald, whose signature “scat” style earned her the nickname “The First Lady of Jazz,” was honored with the award by President H.W. Bush in 1992.(Photo: John Downing/Express/Getty Images)

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Ella Fitzgerald  - It didn't take long for the recording industry to recognize this once-in-a-lifetime talent. Fitzgerald became the first Black woman to win a Grammy Award in 1958, the inaugural year of music's highest honor.  (Photo: John Downing/Express/Getty Images)

Dorothy Dandridge as Carmen Jones  - (Photo: 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)

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Dorothy Dandridge  - Nearly 50 years before Halle Berry would become the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress, Dandridge was the first woman of color nominated for the prestigious award. The actress was recognized in 1954 for her leading role in Carmen Jones. (Photo: 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)

Hattie McDaniel  - Gone With the Wind didn't exactly move race relations forward in America, but the film was responsible for at least one breakthrough: Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award. (Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)

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Hattie McDaniel  - Gone With the Wind didn't exactly move race relations forward in America, but the film was responsible for at least one breakthrough: Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award. (Photo: John D. Kisch/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)