Women have played a significant role in the fight for civil rights and equality in Black history. This struggle has been intertwined with the broader fight for racial equality, as Black women faced not only gender discrimination but also racism and other forms of oppression.

During the antebellum period, Black women were often at the forefront of the abolitionist movement, fighting against slavery and advocating for their own rights and the rights of all Black Americans. Figures such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass' wife, Anna Murray Douglass, were instrumental in this fight.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Black women were key figures in the women's suffrage movement, working alongside white suffragists to secure the right to vote for women. However, they were often marginalized and excluded from mainstream suffrage organizations due to racism within the movement. Notable figures include Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, and Mary McLeod Bethune.

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Black women continued to be leaders and organizers, playing essential roles in movements such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the lunch counter sit-ins, and the March on Washington. Often overshadowed by male leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Black women such as Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Ella Baker were crucial to the movement's success.

In more recent history, Black women have been at the forefront of social justice movements such as Black Lives Matter, advocating for an end to police brutality and systemic racism. Figures like Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi co-founded the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's murderer in 2013.

Overall, Black women have made significant contributions to the fight for women's rights and racial equality throughout history. Their intersectional struggle continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations.