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Home · News

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous

40 Fierce and Fabulous
By · Updated October 29, 2020
01
Ntozake Shange, 61

She is the author of “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf.”

FIERCE FACTOR: Her choreopoem has a power and relevance that transcend time, race and gender.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
02
Vanessa L. Williams, 47

Williams is an actress and a singer.

FIERCE FACTOR: She conquered Broadway, the music charts, and the big and small screens.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
03
Faith Ringgold, 79

Ringgold is a visual artist and writer.

FAB FACTOR: People soar in her stirring, vibrant masterpieces.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
04
Erica Campbell, 38

Erica (left) is one-half of chart-topping gospel duo, Mary Mary.

FAB FACTOR: The Campbell sisters spread The Word with conviction and flair.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
05
Tina Campbell, 35

Tina (right) is part of the talented gospel duo, Mary Mary.

FAB FACTOR: The Campbell sisters spread The Word with conviction and flair.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
06
Maya Angelou, 82

Angelou is an author, poet, activist, actress, dancer and singer.

FIERCE FACTOR: The Presidential Medal of Arts winner became the voice of a nation.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
07
Judith Jamison, 67

Jamison is the artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

FAB FACTOR: She showed Black girls they belonged at center stage — and in the corner office.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
08
Michelle Obama, 46

Mrs. Obama is the First Lady of the United States. She wrote a personal letter to ESSENCE readers for this special occasion. Pick up a copy of the September issue to read her special message!

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
09
Oprah Winfrey, 56

Oprah is a media mogul and philanthropist.

FIERCE FACTOR: She built a billion-dollar media empire, then put her considerable mojo on the line by stepping up to launch her OWN cable network.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
10
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 71

Johnson-Sirleaf is the President of the Republic of Liberia.

FIERCE FACTOR: The first African female to rule an African nation is bringing peace to her country through economic recovery.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
11
Serena Williams, 29

Williams is a much celebrated tennis champion.

FIERCE FACTOR: She’s the current No. 1 singles player and No. 1 doubles player (along with big sis Venus) in the world.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
12
Candace Parker, 24

Parker is a WNBA forward for the Los Angeles Sparks.

FAB FACTOR: She made competitive basketball cool for women.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
13
Iman, 55

Iman is a supermodel and founder of Iman Cosmetics.

FAB FACTOR: For more than 35 years, she has reflected our beauty.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
14
Naomi Campbell, 40

She is a supermodel and founder of the Fashion for Relief.

FIERCE FACTOR: She’s clocked 25 years in fashion, with the meanest catwalk of them all.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
15
Liya Kebede, 32

Kebede is a supermodel and a maternal health ambassador.

FAB FACTOR: She dreams a world in which giving birth won’t endanger a woman’s life.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
16
Chanel Iman, 20

Chanel is one of the youngest supermodels to walk for Victoria’s Secret.

FAB FACTOR: She’s taken her beauty global to become fashion’s next big thing.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
17
Mary J. Blige, 39

Mary is a singer, actress and philanthropist.

FIERCE FACTOR: For almost two decades, she’s given voice to our vulnerability and our strength.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
18
Beyoncé, 29

Beyoncé is singer, actress and designer for the House of Dereon.

FAB FACTOR: The top-earning female artist took home a record six Grammy Awards in one night.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
19
Queen Latifah, 40

Queen Latifah is an actress, singer, spokesmodel as well as film producer.

FIERCE FACTOR: She infiltrated Hollywood to become a force to be reckoned with.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
20
Mo’Nique, 42

Mo’Nique is an actress, comedienne and talk show host.

FIERCE FACTOR: She won an Oscar while refusing to play politics.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
21
Viola Davis, 45

Davis is an actress. She has appeared in “Doubt” and most recently won a Tony award for her role in the Broadway play “Fences.”

FAB FACTOR: Her riveting portrayals captivate audiences.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
22
Wendy Williams, 46

Williams is a talk show host and author.

FAB FACTOR: By embracing her outsize persona, this rising star has made daytime TV prime time.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
23
Laysha Ward, 42

Ward is the President of Community Relations and Target Foundation for Target Corporation.

FAB FACTOR: She leads the team responsible for donating more than $3 million a week to the communities Target serves.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
24
Esi Eggleston Bracey, 40

She is the VP and general manager of Global Cosmetics for P&G Beauty & Grooming.

FIERCE FACTOR: She diversified P&G’s top-branded spokesmodels to reflect the range of women’s beauty.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
25
Mellody Hobson, 41

Hobson is the President of Ariel Investments.

FAB FACTOR: She helped guide the nation’s largest Black-owned mutual fund company through financial crisis and came out on top.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
26
Dr. Ruth Simmons, 65

Dr. Simmons is the President of Brown University.

FIERCE FACTOR: She helped to raise more than $1.5 billion to enhance academic programs.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
27
Beverly Daniel Tatum, 56

Tatum is the President of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.

FAB FACTOR: She’s at the helm of the country’s oldest HBCU for women.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
28
Valerie Jarrett, 53

Jarrett is President Obama’s senior advisor and assistant to Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement.

FIERCE FACTOR: She has the ear of the most powerful man on the planet, and is helping to launch a more inclusive era of political engagement.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
29
Melody Barnes, 46

Barnes is the domestic policy advisor and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House.

FAB FACTOR: She coordinates the President’s domestic policy process.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
30
Lisa P. Jackson, 48

Jackson is an Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

FAB FACTOR: She links environmentalism to real-life concerns.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
31
Susan Rice, 45

Rice is the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

FIERCE FACTOR: As America’s face to the world, she tackles issues from terrorism to Haiti’s recovery.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
32
Beverly Bond, 35

Beverly is a DJ and founder of Black Girls Rock!

FAB FACTOR: She created a platform for talented young sisters, giving them role models to guide the way.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
33
Olufunmilayo Falusi Olopade, 53

Dr. Olopade is a medical oncologist.

FIERCE FACTOR: She identifies and treats forms of cancer that disproportionately affect Black people.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
34
Susan L. Taylor, 64

Taylor is an author, motivational speaker and former editor-in-chief of ESSENCE.

FIERCE FACTOR: She empowered millions of Black women by affirming our beauty and worth.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
35
Roslyn Brock, 45

Brock is the Chairman of the board of the NAACP.

FAB FACTOR: She’s leading the fight for civil rights into the 21st century.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
36
Alicia Keys, 30

Keys is a singer and an actress.

FIERCE FACTOR: She has raised $25 million for HIV/AIDS care for African children and families.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
37
Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, 60

Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr is an infectious disease specialist.

FIERCE FACTOR: She revolutionized the way we fight HIV.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
38
Sheryl Lee Ralph, 55

Ralph is an actress and HIV activist.

FAB FACTOR: She increased awareness of HIV through powerful performances.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
39
Stephanie D. Wilson, 44

Wilson is a NASA astronaut.

FAB FACTOR: She traveled 6.2 million miles on her most recent mission.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
40
Cicely Tyson, 77

Tyson is a legendary actress.

FAB FACTOR: One of the first Black actresses to secure a prime-time TV role, she’s now inspiring a new generation.

40th Anniversary: Fierce and Fabulous
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