#16: Howard University Women’s Rifle Team, 1937
This vintage photograph has to be one of the coolest we’ve seen in a long while. This group of intimidating young women were members of the Howard University Women’s Rifle Team. Founded in 1867, Howard University is a historically Black university that opened shortly after the end of the Civil War.
This photograph is awesome because it shows a group of young, empowered Black women at a time when they faced many societal prejudices and barriers. Although Howard University accepted female students from almost the very beginning, it was still uncommon for many young women to enroll in college, especially during The Great Depression.