Since 1999, TIME has created an annual list of the world’s most influential people of the year. Everyone from artists to innovators, to leaders and icons have graced the list for over 20 years, and in 2022, seventeen of those wonderful people happen to be black women. 

Here’s a complete list—along with excerpts from their fellow colleagues, friends, and supporters—of the inspiring, hard-working black women who have influenced us this year by doing the work and taking the risks that others could not. 

See the complete list of TIME 100: Most Influential People 2022 here. 

Quinta Brunson

“Quinta Brunson is more than a writer, producer, actor, and comedian. She’s a student and a master of her craft. A game changer in network television. Smart and funny as hell, in that order. She’s a Swiss Army knife that can—and does—do it all.

That’s the real beauty of Quinta’s brilliance. Using humor and nuance to connect people over everyday realities in order to improve them—for students, teachers, creators, [black women,] and everyone who comes after her.

Because it’s all about opening doors. Breaking down barriers. And doing it with love, kindness, and compassion. While still being an absolute boss like QB.”

– LeBron James

Elizabeth Alexander 

“Elizabeth Alexander is many things. She’s a poet, a philanthropist, an educator, and an intellectual, but most of all, she’s a visionary. In her six books of poetry, Alexander is an explorer who’s constantly finding new ways to tell the stories of Black America.

And through her work as the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation—the largest funder of arts and education in the U.S.—she has put real investment into creating spaces that reflect the country’s rich diversity, and rethinking how we can embrace our cultural narratives, whether through physical monuments or the ways in which we tell our stories.”

– Lynn Nottage

Faith Ringgold 

” From the late ’60s, when she was protesting the exclusion of Black and women artists from museums. A creative force and artistic visionary, she has been making breakthroughs for more than six decades, something very clearly exhibited in two retrospectives of her art this past year—at the Glenstone Museum’s groundbreaking presentation of the Serpentine-organized survey and at the New Museum’s showcase.

It is with great joy that I reflect on the Studio Museum in Harlem’s seminal 1984 exhibition “Faith Ringgold: Twenty Years of Painting, Sculpture, and Performance 1963–1983,” and consider all that Faith has accomplished in the nearly four decades since. The art world is only just now catching up with Faith Ringgold.” 

– Thelma Golden

Zendaya

“To me, Zendaya is a thousand years old. She has already lived many lives before this one. And yet, she is as young as springtime. By some inextricable paradox, she also gives the impression of having been born sometime far into the future. She is timeless, and she can do it all.

She is an autonomous creative force herself. A cultural icon in the making. A person driven by inspiration, empathy, and respect for her craft, who uses authenticity as a superpower. She seems fearless, her roots run deep, and I love that she laughs like a kid. Zendaya is the future. And there is nothing more comforting to me. This is only the beginning.”

– Denis Villaneuve

Ariana DeBose

“Ariana DeBose is what I call a quadruple threat: she’s not only a dancer, an actress, and a singer, but also kind. I first became aware of her when I saw her as the Bullet in Hamilton. The role requires her to move in slow motion—and so creative was she! It took such physical strength. I leapt. I could barely leave the theater: I wanted to see her slow-motion movement again.

More recently, we were both cast in the TV show Schmigadoon! I got to know the woman: silly, funny, not afraid of what anyone thinks. No fear. She inspired me to be the best I could be at my role.”

– Kristin Chenoweth 

Jazmine Sullivan

“From her first single “Need U Bad,” Jazmine Sullivan demonstrated an innate ability to write songs that perfectly capture the stories of so many Black women. Sullivan has a lyrical vulnerability that makes you think she has been reading your journal.

She is so deserving of her most recent Grammy win, along with acclaim and other accolades that have been an honor to witness. But the most exciting part of her recent career journey has been that Sullivan has allowed us to share in her journey to self-love, removing herself from the shadows of fear.”

– Amber Riley

Zoe Kravitz

“It would be very easy for Zoë to walk through the world in a different way, entitled and accomplished. But that’s not her style. She chooses the path of hard work, constantly innovating and pushing the status quo. She hustles, writes her own scripts, stays up all night until the job is done. I’ve watched it up close, and it never ceases to amaze me.

Zoë has done so much in her career thus far, but what I’m most excited about is all that is coming next. Directing, producing, cutting her own path. But always her way. Always cool.”

– Reese Witherspoon

Nadine Smith

“In the fight for equality in Florida, there has perhaps been no greater advocate for LGBTQ people than Nadine Smith. For over 30 years—most recently as the executive director of Equality Florida—Smith has worked tirelessly to safeguard our rights and elevate our voices, combatting discrimination in employment, housing, and many other areas.

Smith comes from a family with a strong civil rights background and has consistently chosen to defend those who are the most vulnerable in our state and across the country. She is a Black, queer woman who has regularly spoken out about discrimination and biases against LGBTQ people when others have stayed silent.”

– Kristen Arnett 

Candace Parker

“Her commitment is unparalleled, as are her insights: through her work as an NBA commentator, she always offers me a different way to think about the game. She is inspiring not only to the next generation of players but also to all young people, and she uses her platform with incredible intent.

Most recently producing a feature-length documentary about how Title IX advanced the cause of gender equality in the U.S. So many young women watching Candace are seeing how she’s living out loud and achieving greatness.”

– Dwyane Wade 

Issa Rae

“Issa is not only a prolific writer, a captivating actor and comedian, a profound leader, an efficacious producer, and a music mogul in the making (pauses to take a breath)—she’s also a consistently hilarious and loyal friend. For those of us lucky enough to know her, Issa is everything you want a person to be: kind, funny, down to earth.

Even if you don’t have the privilege of knowing her, you feel a familiarity with the [black] woman with the unstoppable cheekbones and infectious laugh.”

– Robin Thede

Mary J. Blige

“Every night during our tour together, Mary would have a heartfelt conversation with the audience. There would be tears in people’s eyes; there would be people yelling with pride. 

She carved a lane for herself, and now she can feed people more than just music. She has a lot more to offer, from her incredible acting career to her wine brand to the Strength of a Woman festival she just launched in Atlanta. And I feel like she is just getting started. She’s who we wanted her to be, and even more, she became who she’s supposed to be.”

– Nas

Letitia James

“As the first Black woman to serve as New York State’s attorney general—one of the most powerful law-­enforcement positions in the country—Letitia James has used her position to take down powerful men and pursue nationwide causes.

She’s using her [influential] position as New York’s top law-­enforcement officer to wield power on national issues, from protecting women from other states who seek abortion in New York to investigating the role of social media companies in spreading online hate.”

– Charlotte Alter 

“President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in March 2021, and her leadership has been a tonic. That year has made a big difference to Tanzania. A door has opened for dialogue between political rivals, steps have been taken to rebuild trust in the democratic system, efforts have been made to increase press freedom, and women and girls have a role model.

“As the first female President in the history of my country,” she said, “the burden of expectation to deliver gender equality is heavier on my shoulders.”

As she spoke these powerful words, I couldn’t help but think how strong the shoulders of women leaders are and how much they can make a difference.”

– Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ketanji Brown Jackson

“With grit and grace, and holding more trial-court experience than any current Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson demonstrated to America that she was prepared, poised, and would ultimately persevere through insults and attacks.

Her magnificent triumph during her hearings, earning her bipartisan support, evoked for millions a moment of invincible joy. This is a time to rejoice. Not only will Ketanji Brown Jackson ascend to the Supreme Court, she will serve there for years to come and help our nation move forward in its long and epic journey toward justice.”

– Cory Booker

Mia Mottley

“There are some who stand tall and stand out no matter where they are from—whether a large, densely populated country or a small island nation. Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados is one such person. Bold, fearless, and possessing a great intellect and wit, the Prime Minister is a brilliant politician who knows how to shake things up.

Mia Mottley is an icon in her country, having won re-election by a landslide. The Prime Minister strides boldly on the world stage. She is an embodiment of our conscience, reminding us all to treat our planet, and one another, with love, dignity, and care.”

– Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 

Timnit Gebru

“Gebru is one of the world’s leading researchers helping us understand the limits of artificial intelligence in products like facial-recognition software, which fails to recognize women of color, especially Black women. Her work shines a light on racial disparities in the tech industry, from worker mistreatment to discriminatory product design.

She now leads the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and is a fierce voice of clarity about both the limits and the possibilities of AI, warning us about what can go wrong when power goes unchecked in the tech industry. She offers us hope for justice-oriented technology design, which we need now more than ever.”

– Safiya Noble

Oprah Winfrey

“When Oprah connects with something—a person, a book, a song, an idea—she makes sure to shine her light on it. She validates it. She anoints it. People know that when Oprah is involved, there is no pretense, no fluff—whether it’s her work in arts and media or her philanthropic work on health care, food equity, and more.

Every project she touches follows the same pattern, asking us to think critically about our society and how it works, reminding us of our common humanity, and challenging us to take our victories and failures, our pride and vulnerability—and make it all seen.”

– Michelle Obama