The City of Atlanta’s Women of Atlanta Advisory Council’s Memorializing and Celebrating Stories of Impact Committee, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, announced the release of the inaugural Moving H.E.R. Forward List, recognizing 25 trailblazing women whose contributions have helped shape the city of Atlanta. This list, standing for Historically Equitable Recognition (H.E.R.), ensures that the legacies of Atlanta’s influential women are acknowledged and celebrated.
The Moving H.E.R. Forward List is the culmination of extensive research and collaboration between the Committee and 14 distinguished women HERstorians who convened at the Atlanta History Center in September of 2024. The list was released at the Moving Her Forward Summit on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, celebrating the honorees and their lasting contributions to Atlanta’s history.
The Committee and historians decided that all women selected for the inaugural list would be deceased to ensure a historical perspective and honor those whose legacies have already been cemented in Atlanta’s history. The selection process also prioritized diversity, ensuring that the honorees reflect the broad spectrum of identities and experiences that have shaped Atlanta’s history.
The Moving H.E.R. Forward List will serve as the foundation for future memorials, public initiatives, and educational efforts designed to elevate the stories of these remarkable women. The Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion encourages the public to learn more about these honorees. View the complete list here and click on the images to learn more about these women: https://bit.ly/MovingHerForwardList
2025 Moving H.E.R. Forward List:
Adrienne Herndon (1869–1910): African American actress, activist, and educator in Atlanta
Beatrice Haas (1905–1997): Prominent Atlanta civic leader and philanthropist
Bessie Kempton Crowell (1898-1981): One of the first women elected to the General Assembly (Fulton County)
Carrie Steele Logan (1829–1900): Philanthropist who founded the oldest orphanage for African American children in Atlanta
Constance Curry (1933-2020): American civil rights activist, educator, and writer
Coretta Scott King (1927–2006): Author, civil rights leader, and advocate for African American equality
Dorothy Rogers Tilly (1883–1970): Social reformer and civil rights activist
Ella Baker (1903–1986): Significant figure in the civil rights movement
Eliza Ann Grier (1864–1902): First African American woman licensed to practice medicine in Georgia
Evelyn Lowery (1925–2013): Civil rights activist and advocate for the rights of women, children, and families
Grace Towns Hamilton (1907–1992): First African American woman elected to the Georgia General Assembly
Janice Rothschild Blumberg (1924–2024): Author, historian, and civil rights activist with contributions to Atlanta’s Jewish community
Julia Perilla (1945-2018): Researcher and advocate known for her work with the Latinx community in Atlanta
Leila Ross Wilburn (1885–1967): One of Georgia’s first woman architects
Lettie Pate Whitehead (1872–1953): Businesswoman and philanthropist who was the first woman on the board of the Coca-Cola Company and any major corporation
Lugenia Burns Hope (1871–1947): Social activist, reformer, and community organizer
Mildred Sydell (1889-1988): One of the first women to work as a newspaper journalist in Georgia and an advocate for women’s rights
Olga C. de Goizueta (1934–2015): Philanthropic leader and former chair and trustee of The Goizueta Foundation
Rosalynn Carter (1927–2023): Former First Lady of the United States and mental health advocate
Roslyn Pope (1938–2023): Civil rights activist and author of “An Appeal for Human Rights”
Sandra Deal (1942–2022): Former First Lady of Georgia and advocate for literacy
Valarie Boyd (1963-2022): American writer, journalist, and academic. She was best known for her biography of Zora Neale Hurston
The Atlanta Washerwomen: African American laundresses who organized the 1881 strike in Atlanta
The Indigenous Women of What We Now Know as Atlanta: Indigenous women who were and continue to be an integral part of caring for and leading within the native lands of what we now know as Atlanta
Unnamed Enslaved Women: African American women whose labor built and nurtured Atlanta while enduring enslavement, shaping the city we cherish today
For more information about the Moving H.E.R. Forward List, or to nominate women for future recognition, please contact the Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at MOEDI@atlantaga.gov.
