History That's More Than 2-Dimensional.

Collection: Activists

Luisa Capetillo (1879-1922)

The Activist Arrested For Wearing Pants

In 1915, this rowdy Puerto Rican activist was arrested for wearing pants in public. It wouldn't be the last time she wore pants, or got arrested.

Cornelia Sorabji (1866-1954)

Protector. Reformer. Lawyer.

One of the first Indian women to practice law, she fought against -- and inside of -- a system that held no room for her.

Soraya Tarzi (1899-1968)

The Human Rights Queen of Afghanistan

1920s Afghanistan was a progressive and rapidly-modernizing country in large part to the most powerful, empathic, and maligned queen it had ever seen.

The Mirabal Sisters (1924/27/35-1960)

The Sisters Who Toppled a Dictatorship

When a cruel dictator ruined this Dominican Republic family, these sisters gave their lives to end his.

Stephanie St. Clair (1897-1969)

Harlem's Queen of Numbers

This audacious black gangster fought the Italian mob for control of Harlem and won, taunting them in full-page newspaper ads as she went.

Mekatilili wa Menza (c.1860-c.1925)

The widow who beat the British through ecstatic dance

When colonial powers went too far, she rebelled in the most stylish way possible: dancing from town to town. It was surprisingly effective.

Naziq al-Abid (1898-1959)

The Sword of Damascus

She traded a life of privilege for one spent fighting for justice on both literal and political battlefields so tirelessly that even exiling her five times couldn't keep her down.

Osh-Tisch (1854-1929)

Princess of Two Spirits

The last Crow nation baté (Two Spirit mystic) in history, she earned her name -- which means "Finds Them and Kills Them" -- by tirelessly fighting to preserve her way of life.

Ida B. Wells (1862-1931)

Princess of the Press

One of the first anti-lynching advocates, she risked her life for decades to report on the truth when nobody would believe her.

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)

The Mother Who Sued to Save Her Kids

When her kid was stolen from her, this ex-slave successfully sued to get him back; she then went on to become a forceful speaker for abolition across the United States.