Texas trailblazers: Five Inspiring Women Who Made History in the Lone Star State

– and the lessons we can learn from them on International Women’s Day

Texas history has no shortage of inspiring women. From global music icon Beyoncé to influential First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, the Lone Star State has produced many women throughout our history who continue to inspire us today. In honor of Women’s History Month and in celebration of International Women’s Day, KGBTexas is recapping five trailblazing Texas women who taught us lessons in business and in life, with information we gleaned from the Texas State Historical Association.

Adina De Zavala fought tooth and nail to preserve Texas history.

Adina Emilia De Zavala (1861-1955) was an integral part of the efforts to preserve the Alamo from destruction as a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT). By 1905, DRT has successfully purchased the Alamo property. However, the group soon fractioned over a disagreement over whether the Alamo barracks preserve preserved. Never one to back down from what she believed, Adina barricaded herself within the north barrack of the Alamo for three days in an effort to prevent its destruction—and only emerged when her lawyer reached an agreement to put the barracks under temporary control of the Texas governor.

The Alamo barracks remain an invaluable part of San Antonio history today. Adina’s devotion to her cause, and to San Antonio’s storied history, highlights the importance of standing for what you believe.

Bessie Coleman broke boundaries in aviation.

As the first licensed Black woman pilot in the world, Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) attended aviation school in France because no schools in the U.S. would accept Black students. After she returned to the U.S. in 1922, Bessie started flying in air shows. On one occasion in Waxahachie, Texas, Bessie refused to perform an air show on the grounds of a white school unless Black children were allowed to use the same entrance. She quickly became one of the most popular stunt flyers in the country, until her tragic death on a test flight in 1926.

Bessie’s story teaches us about how bravery and tenacity can help us break boundaries. Civil rights activist and fellow aviator Lieutenant William J. Powell wrote of Bessie almost a decade after her passing, “Because of Bessie Coleman, we have overcome that which was worse than racial barriers. We have overcome the barriers within ourselves and dared to dream.”

Bette Graham saw a problem—and solving her own problem soon turned into a business.

Born in San Antonio, Bette Graham (1924-1980) began working in Dallas as a secretary in 1951. Bette found herself frustrated by the need to retype a sheet of paper due to an error and soon began correcting them with white paint. Before long, Bette was sharing her innovative solution with other secretaries. She filed a patent on the product in 1958. Ten years later, her company had sold a million bottles of her product “Liquid Paper” and moved into its own facility. Bette’s success is a reminder to all of us that when you’re facing a problem, creativity and ingenuity can lead to remarkable breakthroughs.

When Mary Kay Ash couldn’t find opportunity in her career, she created opportunity for herself.

Mary Kay Ash (1918-2001) didn’t become a makeup mogul until she had already retired the first time. After being passed over for a promotion at work, Mary Kay decided to write a book to help other women in business. That book became the business plan for her company Mary Kay Cosmetics, which used “house parties” to sell product. When Mary Kay passed in 2001, her makeup empire had achieved sales of over $200 million per year.

As someone who founded their business later in life, Mary Kay is a reminder that it is never too late to believe in yourself and follow your entrepreneurial dreams.

Selena created music that inspired millions, while giving back to her community.

Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (1971-1995) grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas. By the time she turned 16, Selena had won the 1989 Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year, and in 1994, she became the first female Tejano artist to win the GRAMMY Award for Best Mexican-American Album. Her band Selena y Los Dinos sold 1.5 million records by the time of her tragic murder in 1995. After her death, Selena crossed over into mainstream success when her English-language crossover album, Dreaming of You, reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Throughout her stardom, Selena thought of herself as a public servant and was involved with multiple outreach programs during her career, including the Houston Area Women’s Shelter. Her legacy is a powerful reminder to all of us to give back to our communities.

In Conclusion

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate each of these women for their triumphs, whether in business, arts and culture or aviation—and express our gratitude to them for inspiring not only women in Texas, but people around the world.