Someone willing to forge ahead and clear the path—even at risk to themselves. It’s a fitting definition for our International Women’s Day highlight, honoring three trailblazing women.
From design to activism to entertainment, these three women all took root in the greater Detroit area and went on to international acclaim. They blazed trails and made the world a better place for the women who would follow in their footsteps—and for all humankind.
Photo of Florence Knoll courtesy of Getty Images.
FLORENCE KNOLL
The Visionary
Much of what is considered Mid-Century Modern may well be called Midwest Century Modern, with its deep roots in Michigan. One such root belongs to Florence Knoll, the woman who defined modern interior design but refused to be defined by it.
Born in Saginaw, Knoll was in taken at a young age by the famed Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen and his wife Loja. Knoll studied architecture and furniture design at the Cranbrook Academy of Arts in Bloomfield Hills, a suburb north of Detroit.
From her time as a student through her career, Knoll was an agent of change. She took her architectural eye and applied it to interiors, believing that a building ought to be seen as a textural whole. She changed the way we experience the workplace with her human-centered design. And she was a force to reckon with both as an entrepreneur and as an artist.
Today, Knoll’s influence can be seen in the most everyday places—from our chairs to our workspaces to our living rooms.
Photo of Grace Lee Boggs courtesy of Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University.
GRACE LEE BOGGS
The Activist
Grace Lee Boggs was an individual with a heart and mind dedicated to community. Her books, essays, columns, and actions as an activist have made an enduring impact on the Asian American Movement, political theory, and social justice.
After moving to Detroit in 1953 with her husband and fellow activist James Boggs, the city became forever intertwined with Grace Lee Boggs’ long legacy of civil rights and Black Power Movement activism.
As living proof of her dedication to community activism, Boggs founded organizations and groups wherever she went. From the Detroit Asian Political Alliance in 1970, to the National Organization for an American Revolution in 1979, to Detroit Summer, a youth program she established in 1992, she fervently nurtured the power of the collective “we.”
Today, the Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership in Detroit continues to shape leaders in social justice, grassroots activism, and community organization. In Detroit and around the world, the seeds of a future community are growing because of her passion.
Photo of Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg courtesy of Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University.
MARTHA JEAN “THE QUEEN” STEINBURG
The Voice
One night in 1963, Martha Jean Steinburg went live in Inkster, Michigan as an R&B DJ. She was a seismic success, and the airwaves have never been the same since.
A pioneer of the radio DJ persona, Steinburg’s natural charisma captivated listeners. With a heart for gospel (Steinburg would later become an ordainted minister), she leveraged her influence for good and began to include social commentary in her show.
During the Uprising of 1967, she remained on-air for 48 hours urging Detroiters to stay calm and safe, and later had a recurring program called “Buzz the Fuzz,” to help improve relationships between citizens and the police. Steinburg was inducted to the Black Radio Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 before passing in 2000.
“The Queen” trailblazed many more than just one path. As a Black woman, she rose to the top of a male-dominated field. Radio, talk radio, and even podcasts would be vastly different without Steinburg’s influence on the format. Live from Detroit, her personality and vivacity shone through in a voice that would change the world.