Enthralled with the historic African American women who conquered the Wild West, Joyce Jefferson has researched and developed historical portrayals of women she calls ‘sheroes.’ These women crossed dangerous and undeveloped lands, entering the Wild West with all odds stacked against them. With backgrounds of slavery, little or no education, and being of minority gender, these women overcame the most challenging of circumstances to accomplish the extraordinary.

Joyce Jefferson is a seasoned performer with hundreds of presentations to her credit. She shared billing with Yolonda King and Sally Roesch Wagner. She is also a frequent guest presenter at Gregory, South Dakota’s Oscar Micheaux Film and Book Festival.

Her portrayals show phenomenal women who, throughout history, overcame the most challenging circumstances to accomplish the extraordinary.

These sheroes are examples of how each of us has the courage to reach our goals and dreams. Joyce, attired in period costume, takes you back in time – as if you were in Old Custer, Deadwood or the plains.

Below meet Six of these real-life sheroes from South Dakota history!

Sarah Campbell (Aunt Sally), Kathryne Reynolds, Mary Kercherval and Lucretia Marchbanks, who lived in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory in the 1800’s, as well as prolific writer, Yanktonian Katherine Davis Chapman Tillman, and Tripp County homesteader Orlean Micheaux.

Along with her shero stories, Joyce has additional programming with Windflower Women and Jerry Wilske.