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Badass Black Women History Month: Celebrating 28 Black Women Who Said, “Fuck it, I’ll Do It!” Day 8: Amber Ruffin The First Black Woman to Write for Late Night 

Late-Night TV talk shows are cultural touchstones. They tell us what the world thinks is important, funny or just relevant. From Johnny Carson to Seth Meyers, the late-night talk show has remained a staple of network television. However, throughout the history of these shows, there have been no black female writers behind the scenes. That is until Amber Ruffin joined the staff of Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2014. 

A Nebraska native, Ruffin made a name for herself in comedy when she moved to Chicago. She quickly became an improv favorite and started working for the Second City and Boom Chicago. After failing to make the cut for SNL, she thought her career was over––until Seth Meyers asked if she could move to New York in 6 days to write for him. Ruffin brings a much needed voice to the late night scene. 

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Badass Black Women History Month: Celebrating 28 Black Women Who Said, “Fuck it, I’ll Do It!” Day 1: Maria W. Stewart 1803-1879 The First Female Orator

Maria W. Stewart was a domestic servant who would go on to become the FIRST woman to speak to a mixed crowd of men and women, black and white. She was also the FIRST black woman to publicly speak about women’s rights and to make a public anti-slavery speech. When no one else wanted to speak up, Maria took it upon herself to say what she felt was right. Even though it made people hate her.

Maria was born in Hartford, CT. Her parents were free, but they died when she was 5 and she was sent to live with a minister and his family. For 10 years, she worked as their servant with no formal education or pay. In 1826, she married and moved to Boston. She was widowed after three years and she had no children, but the move would launch her public speaking career. 

In Boston, Maria achieved the feat of becoming the first black woman to give speeches in front of a mixed race crowd. At the time, this was described as a “promiscuous” crowd, but Maria wasn’t scared. She lectured on women’s rights, anti-slavery and responsibility in the black community. Her speeches and published pamphlets would make her a matronist: a matriarch of black feminist thought during the Jim Crow era. 

It wasn’t easy though. Her speeches were seen as daring and risky. Maria didn’t hold back from anyone. She criticized white people, black men, and said ignorance made up the real chains of oppression. Crowds would often turn on her in the middle of her speeches. When she gave a speech criticizing black men for their refusal to aid black women and women’s rights, the room went insane. Maria didn’t think black women should be forced to work in kitchens. She thought black girls should get the same opportunities as everyone else. The people hated her message. Soon after, Maria decided to retire from public speaking. She gave her last speech in 1833 and left Boston for New York. Very little is known about her after this move. She struggled to find writing work and eventually moved to Baltimore. She died at Freedmen’s Hospital on December 17th, 1879.

Quotes:

O ye sons of Africa, when will your voices be heard in our legislative halls, in defiance of your enemies, contending for equal rights and liberty?

Badass Black Women History Month: Celebrating 28 Black Women Who Said, “Fuck it, I’ll Do It!” Day 2: Dianne White Clatto America’s First Black Weathercaster

In 1962, when Dianne White Clatto became the first full-time black weathercaster for KSDK in St. Louis, she had already accomplished major feats in her life. The descendent of a Civil War general’s “mistress slave,” Clatto was the first black woman to model for Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis. She was one of the first black students to attend the University of Missouri. Her TV career would last 26 years, where she eventually moved from weathercaster to news anchor. 

It wasn’t easy for Dianne. The job didn’t pay much and she had to keep a second job at Avon to make ends meet. Viewers also hated her. She would receive regular death threats and phone calls asking her to “give her job to a nice white girl.” When Dianne married Fred Porterfield (the city’s first black male newscaster) and got pregnant with her first child, she dared to show her pregnancy on air. Even though she only gained 11 pounds during the pregnancy, viewers noticed. This was unheard of at the time and viewers would call in and ask them to “take that nigger baby off the air.” Dianne eventually won viewers over and moved on to become a news anchor in the 70s. She would cover live events, sports and breaking news. 

In 1986, Dianne was fired because she was considered too old to be on air. She sued for age discrimination and won a settlement. Dianne would go on to open many charities, get involved in a pretty badass federal larceny charge, and  work for the mayor’s office until she passed away in 2015.

Quotes:

I knew young black women looked up to me.

Badass Black Women History Month: Celebrating 28 Black Women Who Said, “Fuck it, I’ll Do It!” Day 3: Mabel Fairbanks America’s First Black Female Figure Skater

Mabel Fairbanks was the first black person to be inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1997. She was also inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame. While Mabel coached some of the biggest names in figure skating like Scott Hamilton, Debi Thomas and Kristi Yamaguchi, she was never allowed to compete in the Olympics at the height of her career because of her race. As a black woman skating in Jim Crow America, she was often banned from rinks and competitions. 

Born in 1915 in Florida, Mabel was left orphaned after her mother died when she was 8. Mabel went to live with her older brother in New York City, but his wife wouldn’t allow her to stay with them and she was soon homeless. A wealthy woman saw her sleeping on a park bench and gave her a job as a babysitter in her home overlooking Central Park. Mabel watched the children skating from the Central Park apartment and decided she could do it too. At only 10 years old, Mabel bought a pair of used skates that were too big, stuffed them with cotton and headed to the whites only ice rink. "Blacks didn't skate there. But it was a public place, so I just carried on," she once said. 

By the 1930s, Mabel was a skating sensation, but she was still not allowed into most ice rinks. There weren’t any black skate rinks and she was denied entry to the white rinks. Still, Mabel would return every single day until, finally, the manager let her in. Even though Olympic medalist and nine-time US Champion Maribel Vinson personally took Mabel under her wing as a student, Mabel still wasn’t able to compete in any qualifying events for the Olympics because she was black. 

Instead, Mabel would perform at black charity events and private shows. White producers refused to book her despite her skills. With few options, Mabel decided to move to Los Angeles where she was able to tour internationally, skating with Ice Capades in Mexico and later with Ice Follies. Mabel would go on to coach singles and pairs skating. Many of her students would go on to compete in the Olympics and win gold. Mabel was never bitter and was proud of her accomplishments. In a 1998 interview the Los Angeles Times wrote: