Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Women Breaking Barriers Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 10, 2026

1. Women Breaking Barriers Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Marker

Inscription.
Bessie, Dorothy, and Cicely all soared and broke barriers as African American women in their fields.

Bessie Coleman
Bessie was the first African American female to get a pilot's license.

Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy was the first African American female actor nominated for both an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe.

Cicely Tyson
Cicely was the first African American star of a TV drama series. Their legacies run deep and are inspiring for many people in those same fields today.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Air & Space • Arts, Letters, Music • Women.

Location. 39° 6.515′ N, 77° 33.344′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. It can be reached from the intersection of East Market Street (Virginia Route 7) and Sycolin Road Southeast, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 407 E Market St, Leesburg VA 20175, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area

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and in Northern Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Women Breaking Barriers Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (here, next to this marker); Female Athletes Dominating Sports (here, next to this marker); Male Athletes Dominating Sports (here, next to this marker); Entrepreneurs Excelling Inside & Outside of Sports (here, next to this marker); Local Loudoun County Heroes (a few steps from this marker); Historically Black Colleges and Universities (a few steps from this marker); African American Inventions (a few steps from this marker); Match the Sport with the Athlete (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leesburg.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 10, 2026

2. Women Breaking Barriers Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 11, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 52 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 11, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.