The most powerful Black women of 2021

8. Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker, producer and director. She is the first Black woman to be nominated by the Academy as a director in a feature category.

According to Forbes, she is the first Black woman to direct a $100 million-grossing film and her Emmy winning series, When They See Us, became the most-watched series on Netflix.

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In November 2018, she signed a $100 million deal with Warner Brothers.