Black Girls Who Won in 2013

Kerry Washington; Beyoncé Knowles; Michelle Obama

This was a good year for black women. From Emmy nominations to elections, music to movies, black women dominated 2013. The Root has gathered a list of the black girls who won in 2013.

Sasha Obama

Malia, Sasha and Michelle Obama

Brendon Smialowski/Getty Images

Sasha caused a unicorn sweater shortage this year. After she was spotted wearingthis ASOS sweatshirt, it promptly sold out. Yes, we get our fashion cues from a 12-year-old. Don’t worry about it.

Brittney Griner and Raven-Symoné

Brittney Griner; Raven-Symoné

Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Basketball star Brittney Griner inked a deal with Nike, and actress Raven-Symonécontinued her career. They also both announced that they’re gay. What’s on their iPods? Rihanna’s “Unapologetic.”

Black Female Comedians

Black female comedians at the secret Saturday Night Live audition 

Instagram

Saturday Night Live has done a terrible job of casting black women. After receiving some backlash, SNL hosted a secret audition for black female comedians. Luckily, though, black girls aren’t waiting around for SNL to recognize their talents. Women like The Daily Show’s Jessica Williams are paving their own way. For the last time, black women are funny.

Janet Mock and Laverne Cox

Janet Mock; Laverne Cox

Ilya S. Savenet/Getty Images; Netflix

Orange Is the New Black actress Laverne Cox and activist Janet Mock have been at the forefront of transgender issues this year. Cox is currently producing a documentary about the plight of CeCe McDonald, and Mock has released a book,Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More.

Simone Biles

Simone Biles

John Thys/Getty Images

Gymnast Biles didn’t let the haters steal her shine this year. The young athlete is currently both the 2013 U.S. National and World All-Around Champion.

Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington

Christophe Polk/Getty Images

Washington was the first black woman in 18 years to be nominated in the Emmys’ Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. Olivia Pope to Kerry Washington: “It’s handled.”

Aja Brown

Aja Brown

Vision for Compton

At 31, Brown became the youngest person to be elected mayor of Compton, Calif. She beat the incumbent with an impressive 63.5 percent of the vote.

Rihanna

Rihanna 

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Remember when people criticized Rihanna for her crossover success? She came out with the doobie wrap, edges laid, and shut that down. The American Music Awards weren’t ready.

Black Actresses

Lupita Nyong’o; Naomie Harris; Samira Wiley

Jerod Harris/Getty Images; Vince Bucci/Getty Images; Rob Kim/Getty Images

Lupita Nyong’o, Naomie Harris, Danielle Brooks, Samira Wiley, Uzo Aduba, Laverne Cox, Kerry Washington: This has been the year of the black actress. As far as we’re concerned, every year should be the year of the black actress.

Melissa Harris-Perry and bell hooks

Melissa Harris-Perry; bell hooks

Larry Busacca/Getty Images; Wikipedia Commons

On Nov. 8, bell hooks and Melissa Harris-Perry hosted a joint talk. We are still surprised that the universe didn’t implode from the meeting of these two great feminist minds.

Mikki Kendall

Mikki Kendall

Courtesy of Mikki Kendall

Writer Kendall won Twitter with two important hashtags.#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen started in response to the insensitivity of some noted white feminists toward victims of writer Hugo Schwyzer's attacks on feminists of color, which ignited a firestorm and prompted a list on our own site.#FastTailedGirls sparked a necessary discussion on sexual assault, black women and the culture that allows assault to persist. These Twitter trending topics tallied roughly 63,000 and 40,000 unique tweets respectively and are still running.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Jerod Harris/Getty Images

Writer Adichie has been a winner since she released her best-selling book Half of a Yellow Sun. But it’s been her TEDx talk, which was featured on Beyoncé’s new album, that has powered her recent push to fame.

Chirlane McCray

Chirlane McCray

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Writer and poet McCray was the bedrock of her husband Bill de Blasio’s successful campaign to become mayor of New York. The de Blasio family is headed to the mayor’s mansion, and they have her to thank.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama

AFP/Mandel Ngan/Getty Images

Obama is the first lady of the United States. She is always winning.

Beyoncé