Legacy Circle Members

Our Legacy Circle Members include African American Women icons who have throughout their lives continued to fight for political power and improve the lives of African American Women in this country.

Cicely Tyson, actress, lecturer, activist and humanitarian, is a true renaissance woman. Ms. Tyson has traveled throughout Africa as a chairperson for UNICEF and has received multiple presidential appointments to welcome foreign dignitaries to the United States. Ms. Tyson is a member of the Advisory Board of The Arch Bishop Tutu Peace Foundation and has received awards from The Martin Luther King Jr. Center, PUSH, CORE, SCLC, NAACP and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Most recently, Ms. Tyson was appointed the commissioner of the National African American Museum of History and Culture by President Bush.

Rev. Willie Taplin Barrow is often referred to as "The Little Warrior" a title earned because she has fought against injustice her entire life. An ordained minister, Rev. Barrow served as a field organizer for Martin Luther King Jr., and co-founded Operation Breadbasket, an organization that provides both spiritual and physical nourishment to communities in need. Currently there are two medical centers for the needy named after Rev. Barrow.

Hon. Yvonne B. Burke has been an active member of the California State government since 1966, and has tirelessly worked to meet the needs of her constituency. She has worked to ensure that foster-children are placed in or near their own neighborhoods, to make cyber-technology available in public housing developments and to develop parklands for the community to enjoy. Her most recent project is to establish multi-modal forms of transportation for her constituency.

Dr. Dorothy Height was working as a civil rights advocate before the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. As a result, Presidents from Eisenhower to Clinton have sought to gain from her experience by requesting her counsel. Dr. Height was President of the National Council of Negro women for more than 40 years before becoming President Emeritus. She has received 20 honorary degrees and has received the presidential Medal of Freedom, FDR freedom medal and the citizens medal awards.