Women of the Movement

Dr. Rosetta Ma Theia Stith

January 5, 1945 -May 18, 2017

Supporter. Advocate. Visionary.

Rosetta M.T. Stith was a teacher, school leader, beacon of light and relentless advocate for pregnant young women in the city of Baltimore. A lifelong daughter and resident of Baltimore, Dr. Stith was initially drawn toward the stage, but the love and compassion of her family pushed her toward education and set the course for what would become a life of public service. Starting off as a primary school teacher, Dr. Stith came to the Laurence G. Paquin Middle/High School for Expectant Teenage Mothers first as an instructor, but soon took her administrator’s exam and became the assistant principal and then the school leader under the encouragement, guidance and love of her mentor, Bebe Caldwell. When “The Paquin School” was formed, teen pregnancy often ended or severely limited whatever bright prospects that young women had. They were forced to leave school, dealt with shame and ridicule, and often found it hard to bounce back from extended time away and little support. Under Dr. Stith’s direction, Paquin School transformed from an under-resourced community with low morale and expectations to a haven of high standards and joy. Dr. Stith wrote grant applications, secured funding for a full library, and set the expectation that not only would teen mothers and fathers be present for their children, but would receive the skills, medical care and grace that they needed to be great. Because of Dr. Stith’s tireless efforts, many parents in Baltimore City –including a good number of our scholar’s parents – were able to stay in school, go on to college or the workforce and continue reaching their goals. We have chosen Dr. Stith as one of the faces of our “Lesser Known Women of the Movement”  for her Active Citizenship in hopes that more people will know her name and see her impact, and most of all, that our scholars would train their eyes to see the good in everyone. We hope that they are inspired to advocate for the children and families that others have forgotten and work with them to create the world that we want to see.

Dr. Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett

b.January 26, 1986

Professor. Scientist. Trailblazer.

Kizzmekia S. Corbett is an immunologist, doctor, and the principal scientist in the creation of the Covid-19 vaccine. Born in North Carolina, Dr. Corbett had already distinguished herself as an academically gifted student before the fourth grade, and her teachers encouraged her parents to place her in accelerated classes. After high school, Corbett traveled to Maryland for college, receiving a degree in biological sciences and sociology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Once finished undergrad, Dr. Corbett did research on respiratory viruses at the National Institutes of Health, and it was this research that led to her being placed on an initial COVID-19 advisory committee. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Corbett realized that the virus was similar in shape to other respiratory viruses that she’d studied and worked with a team of other scientists to create a vaccine taken twice over the course of 28 days that would prompt the immune system to create antibodies against the virus. Through Dr. Corbett’s hard work, the vaccine was able to quickly enter trials to prove its safety and effectiveness; over 613 million people in the United States alone have received the vaccine, saving untold amounts of lives.

Dr. Corbett continues to work and research infectious diseases and makes a special effort to speak to people in communities that have historically been mistreated by medical professionals (such as the African American community) to rebuild trust. We have chosen Dr. Corbett for our Lesser Known Women of the Movement  for her Inquiry–because we hope that scholars are inspired to ask the difficult questions and work to find the answers. As a result of her hard work in a field that is not historically filled with people who look like our scholars and work to meet their needs, many of our scholars and families will have access to an important piece of medical care that they might not have otherwise.

Dominique Margaux Dawes

b. November 20, 1976

Artist. Gymnast. Olympic Medalist.

Dominique M. Dawes is an award winning American gymnast and record breaking athlete. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Dawes has been a gymnast since the age of 6 and won her first competition at 9 years old. Dawes later joined the United States National Gymnastics Team and was the first Black woman to compete and win medals in 3 different Olympic Games. Even while earning medals and acclaim as a rising star in the gymnastics world, Dawes had some disappointing performances, including slipping and falling while vaulting and failing to earn any medals. Even still, Dawes’ coach encouraged her to “be happy, stand up, and wave”. Despite these setbacks, Dawes continued to push herself and went on to earn both individual and team and team medals and help the national team to earn a silver medal in the World Team Championships in Germany. After retiring from gymnastics, Dawes has opened a competition gym, performed on Broadway, served as a commentator for other Olympic events and started a family. Our scholars nominated Ms. Dawes for her Perseverance–each day, we encounter situations both within and outside of our control that are designed to knock us off of our course if we let them. We hope that our scholars remember the rallying cry of our school pledge – I Can, I Will, End of Story! – and refuse to let momentary setbacks distract them from the monumental potential inside.

Amanda S.C. Gorman

b. March 7, 1998

Speaker. Activist. Laureate.

Amanda S.C. Gorman is an award winning poet and author who rose to international acclaim after the performance of her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the inauguration of President Joseph Biden. Gorman also achieved other firsts as a result of her moving performance, such as being the first National Youth Poet Laureate as well as the first poet to perform at the Super Bowl. Gorman was born in Los Angeles, California and has worked hard not to let obstacles – such as an auditory processing disorder/sensitivity to sound and a speech impediment –define her or limit her growth as a speaker and an artist. Gorman’s work focuses heavily on race, feminism, intersectionality and the effects of oppression on marginalized communities. Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb” was written after watching armed protestors storm the Capitol building on January 6th and focused on the work that has to be done as a country in order for us to move forward into all that the nation has the potential to be. Even after all of the national and international encouragement that Gorman received due to her publications and recitation of her inauguration poem, she was racially profiled a short while later by a security guard near her home and spoke of the realities that this symbolized for people of color; to be both celebrated and thought not to belong in spaces where we have earned the right to be. Since the inauguration, Gorman has continued to write, speak, and show up as an inspiration. We have chosen her as one of our Lesser Known Women of the Movement because of her Integrity; it takes courage to stand up for what we believe in and to say the things that need to be said even knowing that they may make people uncomfortable. Our desire is for our scholars to look at Ms. Gorman and recognize her eloquence and her passion for what is right, find those same gems within themselves and embody that bravery in their own communications on a daily basis.