As March rolls around, it’s time to turn the spotlight on the often-overlooked achievements and history of women as part of Women’s History Month. Conveniently, this coincides with International Women’s Day, on Mar. 8, a global celebration of the economic, political, and social achievements of women.
While one day, or month, is enough for some, others are dedicating their time and their TikTok algorithms to all things women’s history, using the “For You” page as a means to educate. Passionfruit has compiled a list of some of the standout stars in the women’s history space online who are rewriting the history books.
Although these students, advocates, and enthusiasts represent a variety of niches, from art to archaeology, Latin America to ancient Egypt, what they share is an unapologetic celebration of women in history that informs their combined millions of followers around the world.
With hundreds of thousands of years worth of ground to cover, here are just a few of the creators we believe are putting in the work and bringing untold histories to light.
Hannah Parker (@historical_han_)
A master’s student at the University of Nottingham, Hannah Parker, 23, studies archaeology by day and posts to her 147,000 TikTok followers in her spare time.
Uncovering the stories of archeological artifacts from the ancient Near East, ancient Rome, ancient Egypt, ancient India, ancient Greece, and prehistoric, her account is a verifiable treasure trove of information.
“I started my TikTok account in January 2022 because I wanted to get other young people excited about ancient history and archaeology,” Hannah told Passionfruit. “I felt like there was a disconnect between young people and traditional historical media. Nowadays you don’t have to go to a university or read a book to learn about something.”
As well as historical artifacts, Parker spotlights powerful women in history through her Say Her Name series. From Amanirenas, Queen of Kush, whose rebellion army prevented the Roman Empire from expanding further southward in Africa to Enheduanna, the earliest ever named author from what is now known as Iraq, this is ancient history like you’ve never heard it before.
Taylor Cassidy (@taylorcassidyj)
Taylor Cassidy is a social media creator who’s gained an impressive following of 2.2 million on TikTok by teaching Black history and culture through her now-viral series Fast Black History and Black Girl Magic Minute.
After joining TikTok “just for fun” in late 2019, Cassidy started sharing the facts, figures, and defining moments of Black women’s history in short, one-minute clips. Leaders like Shirley Chisholm, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Maya Angelou, have had their moment in Cassidy’s spotlight. Making crucial moments in history more understandable and relevant to all of us, Cassidy ends each video with the important reminder, “Black history is your history.”
Fast forward to today, and Cassidy regularly uplifts her favorite Black creators, artists, and businesses currently making history in her “magic minute” series. She’s also built up an impressive resume—she’s given a TEDx Talk, hosts SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio, and now works as a correspondent on Nickelodeon’s Nick News. We’re looking forward to seeing what she does next.
Taylor Dreams (@taydreams_of_bees)
Dedicating her account to all things women’s history Taylor Dreams, 29, has an impressive number of series on her TikTok account to share untold stories with her 62,000 followers.
From her This Day in Herstory series, which takes the day’s date and talks about a coinciding historical event, to her Where Is She Buried series, where she explores the burial and final resting places of important women in history, Dreams digs into the overlooked and unexamined.
“I think content like this has been left out in school,” Dreams told Passionfruit. “We have all probably learned about a few women of history, but at large women’s history is left out. I want to help people learn about women and maybe spread some inspiration.”
From deep dives into well-known figures in her Do You Know Her series, to heart-wrenching stories of exploitation in her She Deserved Better series, you’ll come across the likes of Joan of Arc, Coco Chanel, and Marilyn Monroe like you never knew them before.
Fernanda Cortes (@fernandacortesx)
Fernanda Cortes is a TikTok creator preserving Latin culture and traditions for new generations. Using her platform of 819,000 followers, Cortes creates educational videos that highlight important facts in entertainment and Latin history, and she specifically shines a light on influential Latina women.
Her series Bad A** Latinas covers some lesser-known stories of Latinas in history, shedding light on countless trailblazers. Think of Rita Moreno, who was the first Latina to win an Oscar, and Sylvia Mendez, whose mother played a crucial role in ending segregation in California, setting a precedent for the rest of the country.
With her informative and engaging content, Fernanda is inspiring her followers to learn more about the powerful impact women make throughout history. We’re excited to see what stories she spotlights next.
Sanjana Bhambhani (@womenofhistory)
Sanjana Bhambhani, 23, a digital creator and graduate student based in New York, shares stories both about women from history and women making history to her 174,000 followers.
“Growing up, I learned about very few women inventors, scientists, or leaders in other fields—let alone women of color—in school,” Bhambhani told Passionfruit. “When I took the initiative to dig deeper and research stories about women from the past, I realized that it wasn’t that people that looked like me hadn’t done great things. Rather, history had erased or misattributed the achievements of many amazing women from our books, and consequently our education, altogether.”
Bhambhani’s account went viral when she posted a short clip explaining the Matilda Effect, a phenomenon where women’s achievements in science go unacknowledged and attributed to their male colleagues.
Now some of her most-watched videos include the story of the Indonesian women who tattooed themselves to escape slavery in World War Two and the troubling history of women flight attendants in the 1960s and 1970s. Alongside these educational videos, Bhambhani also creates skits that amplify feminist messages and unpacks feminist theories, demystifying niche terms like “glass cliff” and “broflakes” to her followers.
