Every woman is capable of creating something special, achieving incredible success in her chosen field, becoming an outstanding scientist, etc. In today’s environment, women have the right to develop and realize themselves. They are not limited to domestic life and raising children. We’re going to tell you about the top women in Chicago who are known all over the world for their hard work. But this does not mean that there are only 9 famous and successful women in Chicago. Each woman plays an important role, no matter whether she is a girl who wants to become an environmentalist or a housewife who suddenly discovered a talent for design. Each woman has her own connection to Chicago. Read more about it on chicagoka.
Oprah Winfrey
The talented anchor moved to Chicago in 1983 to host the not-so-rated morning show AM Chicago. During her tenure on the show, she managed to make it one of the highest-rated shows. The world knows the Oprah Winfrey Show or simply The Oprah Show. Few people know that the success of this show began with the famous film critic Roger Ebert. He believed that Oprah would surpass even his show At the Movies and he was right. The Oprah Show aired on national television from September 8, 1986 to May 25, 2011, with a total of 25 seasons created and aired.
During the show’s existence, Oprah created her own company and donated millions of dollars to various charitable organizations.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama was born in Chicago in 1964. She graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. When her husband, Barack Obama, was president of America, Michelle was an example for all women. She constantly supported the fight against poverty and spoke out against domestic violence and tyranny. In her wardrobe, she has a large number of clothes from American young designers, thus supporting local young talents. Her book became a bestseller. It was at the top of the charts for 106 weeks.
Koko Taylor
Another famous woman from the Windy City of Chicago. She was born on September 28, 1928. This woman became a symbol of the Chicago blues. She got her nickname Koko for her great love of chocolate.
The song Wang Dang Doodle brought her fame. She became the first woman to perform the blues and gain recognition on the North Side. In a 2012 interview, Koko recalled that she used to spend the night behind the house with her brothers just to sing the blues. They made instruments out of corn and hay bags. During her rather long career (almost 40 years), she received a large number of music awards, including a Grammy in 1984. In 1997, she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. She died in a hospital in Chicago at the age of 80.
Josephine Cochrane
Have housewives ever thought about what life would be like without dishwashers? After all, they make life much easier and save time. They were created by a woman from Chicago, Josephine Cochrane. She also organized their production in Illinois. Josephine built the first model behind her house. At the World’s Columbian Exposition, her invention received the highest award. The main reason was the machine’s ability to wash up to 200 dirty plates at once in just a few minutes. After the exhibition, such devices began to appear in hotels and restaurants.
Over time, Josephine decided to start her own dishwasher company to free women from such a tedious task and to prevent damage to dishes. Very often, when washing a large number of dishes, they would crack. It was only 70 years later, when water heaters were installed in homes, that the opportunity for change appeared. This made it possible to update the functions of the machine and expand the market so that almost every family could afford such equipment.
Jane Addams
This woman was one of the founders of Hull House. She even received the Nobel Prize in 1931. Hull House was the first social settlement in Chicago. It was registered in March 1895. The main goal of the settlement was to support social life, educational institutions, as well as research and improvement of conditions in Chicago’s industrial areas. A complex of buildings was constructed between 1889 and 1963. Over time, the program began to organize and construct buildings in all Chicago neighborhoods.
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer is known to many by her pseudonym J.Hud. She was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago. She is a famous American singer, actress and a philanthropist. Jennifer grew up singing in a church choir. After graduating from Dunbar Vocational High School in 1999, she sang for a year on a Disney cruise ship. Later, she appeared on the famous American talent show American Idol. But she was eliminated because her talent caused fierce controversy. Even this did not stop the girl and she achieved her goal. She has an Oscar, a Golden Globe and two Grammys.
In 2020, Time magazine included her in the list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her last major role was in the movie Respect. It is believed that Aretha chose her for this role, as she saw her younger self in the girl.
Joan Cusack
Joan was born on October 11, 1962. She spent her early years in her childhood home town of Evanston. Joan is a famous comedy actress. The number of films with her participation is quite large. In 2011, the actress opened her own gift shop in Chicago, which she named Judy Maxwell Home in honor of Barbra Streisand’s character in the movie What’s Up, Doc? As it turned out later, this is Joan’s favorite movie. In this store, you can find gifts for every taste and budget (from cards and socks to sets and figurines).
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn moved to Chicago with her parents when she was just 5 weeks old. She grew up on the south side of the city. Her favorite pastime was creating her own collections of stories and poems. In 1950, Gwendolyn became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for her collection. For almost seven years from 1938, Gwendolyn wrote for the Chicago Defender. Thanks to the prize, Gwendolyn’s work became quite popular. Her collections described the so-called “black” Chicago, its interesting places and people who lived in this part of the city. Thus, she made it possible for the city’s history to become known outside the state. In her poetry, she told the stories of ordinary African Americans and their everyday life. In 1968, Gwendolyn became the poet laureate of Illinois.
Jane Byrne
Jane Byrne is a woman who became the 50th mayor of the city of Chicago and the first woman to serve as mayor. It happened on April 3, 1979.
Jane was born on May 24, 1933 in Chicago. She served as mayor from 1979 to 1983. The woman was a prominent female commissioner in the city, and the first female co-chairperson of the Cook County Democratic Party. When she died, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called her an icon of Chicago and a pioneering woman in many ways. The Circle Interchange was even renamed in Jane’s honor. The square near the city’s water tower was named Jane M. Byrne Plaza.
Each woman is unique and has her own achievements. Useful inventions, true poetry, risks and work for the benefit of the whole city. All of this contributed to the fact that such women became famous and glorified their city all over the world.