BadAss Women Throughout History

Nina Simone is remembered as one of the most powerful voices in music history, but her story began at a piano bench in rural North Carolina. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933, Nina dreamed of becoming the first Black classical concert pianist in America. She trained rigorously from childhood and showed extraordinary talent, but after facing barriers that altered the course of her career, she tur...

In Episode 19 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy tells the story of Elizabeth Taylor - a child star who became one of the most recognizable women in the world, built an empire long before celebrity brands were common, and used her fame to fight for people society had abandoned. From her breakout role in National Velvet to her eight marriages, legendary diamonds, and headline-making romance wi...

In episode 18 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy tells the story of Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a Chinese immigrant, activist, educator, and suffragist who became one of the most powerful voices in the fight for women's voting rights in America. At just sixteen years old, Mabel led thousands of marchers on horseback through New York City in one of the largest suffrage parades of the era. She advo...

In episode 17 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy tells the story of Mary Tyler Moore - the sitcom star who helped redefine womanhood on television. At a time when female characters were expected to be wives, girlfriends, or punchlines, Mary Tyler Moore stepped onto screen as an independent working woman with ambition, complexity, humor, and a life of her own. From The Dick Van Dyke Show to Th...

In episode 16 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy tells the story of Madame C.J. Walker - the daughter of formerly enslaved parents who transformed herself from a washerwoman earning barely enough to survive into a groundbreaking entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist. At a time when Black women were excluded from most opportunities in America, Walker built a beauty empire specifically for...

She wasn’t supposed to lead ships. She wasn’t supposed to build power. And she definitely wasn’t supposed to sit across from a queen… and negotiate. But Grace O'Malley did all three. In episode 16 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy tells the story of Grace O’Malley. In 16th century Ireland, Grace O’Malley built a maritime empire from nothing—commanding fleets, controlling trade routes, an...

Wangari Maathai started with trees. The government saw her as a threat. In Kenya, she mobilized women, rebuilt land, and challenged corruption at the highest levels. The response was arrests, violence, and public attacks. But she didn’t stop. This is the story of how one woman turned environmental activism into a movement powerful enough to shake a nation, and became the first African woman to win...

Lozen wasn’t just a warrior—she was a force the U.S. Army couldn’t contain for a very long time. A Chihenne Chiricahua Apache woman, Lozen fought alongside her brother Victorio and later Geronimo, using both strategy and spiritual insight to protect her people during one of the most brutal periods in American history. She led women and children through enemy territory. She crossed hundreds of mile...

Before forensic science… Before women had legal rights pretty much anywhere… There was Giulia Tofana. In 17th-century Italy, she created a poison so undetectable… it could kill without suspicion. A few drops. Over a few days. No trace. No crime. No escape for the men it was used on. But this is where it gets complicated. Because the people buying it weren’t assassins. They were wives. Trapped in v...

Before we understood radiation… before cancer had targeted treatments… there was Marie Curie. In the late 1800s, science was still a closed world — especially for women. Universities didn’t welcome them. Labs didn’t hire them. Discoveries didn’t credit them. And yet, Marie Curie didn’t just enter science… she rewrote it. Born Maria Skłodowska in Poland, she fought her way into higher education in...

The Woman Who Went Inside to Tell the Truth Before undercover journalism existed… there was Nellie Bly. In 1887, she did something no one had ever done before. She convinced doctors, judges, and an entire institution that she was insane—on purpose: To get herself committed to Blackwell’s Island asylum and expose what was really happening inside. Born Elizabeth Cochran in Pennsylvania, Nellie Bly r...

The Genius Hidden in Plain Sight: Before Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS… there was Hedy Lamarr. Known as one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, Hedy Lamarr was often dismissed as just a movie star. But behind the glamour was a brilliant, self-taught inventor who helped create one of the most important technologies of the modern world. Born in Austria, Hedy fled an oppressive marriage to a Nazi-a...

The Performer Who Spied for Freedom . Before she was remembered for the banana skirt, Josephine Baker was fighting fascism in plain sight. Born into extreme poverty in St. Louis, Josephine Baker survived by performing, hustling, and refusing to disappear. When America refused to see her humanity, she left. Paris gave her freedom, fame, and power. And when the Nazis occupied France, she used all th...

Before Silicon Valley. Before computers. Before anyone imagined software. A 19th-century mathematician wrote the first computer program in history . Her name was Ada Lovelace . In this episode of Badass Women Throughout History , Amy explores the remarkable story of the woman who saw the future of computing a century before it existed. Born in 1815 as the daughter of the infamous poet Lord Byron ,...

In episode 5 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy covers the story of Julia Morgan, the trailblazing architect. She explores and highlights: Julia Morgans early years, challenges in Paris, innovations in architecture, impact of the 1906 earthquake, reinforced concrete innovation, designing for women's autonomy, dreaming up and executing Filoli as a turning point in her career, designing Hearst...

In episode 4 of BadAss Women Throughout History, Amy explores the life and legacy of Zheng Yi Sao aka Ching Shih, a powerful pirate queen who defied the norms of her time.  From her rise to power after marrying a pirate commander to her establishment of a strict pirate code, Ching Shih's story is one of leadership, negotiation, and success in a male-dominated world.  Her legacy not only redefined...

This episode explores the life of Audrey Hepburn, delving into her early struggles during World War II, her rise to fame in Hollywood, and her transformation into a humanitarian. Amy reflects on Hepburn's complex character, her dedication to family, and her lasting legacy of compassion and service to children in need. Sources Audrey - 2020 Documentary directed by Helena Coan UNICEF Audrey devoted...

In the early 1900s, Harlem was alive with possibility-but opportunity was not evenly distributed. Episode 2 of BadAss Women Throughout History tells the extraordinary story of Pigfoot Mary, born Lillian Harris Dean, a formerly enslaved woman who turned street food into real estate-and became one of Harlem’s first Black female property owners. Starting with nothing but a baby carriage and her own c...

In the pilot episode of 'Badass Women Throughout History', Amy explores the life and legacy of Frida Kahlo, a revolutionary artist known for her powerful self-portraits and her tumultuous life.  From her early struggles with polio and a life-altering bus accident to her passionate yet complicated marriage with Diego Rivera, Frida's story is one of resilience, creativity, and defiance. ...

Check out BAWTH premiering on January 28th, 2026!