16. Maxine Waters, Politician
Maxine Waters is still serving as an obvious and influential member of Congress, representing the 43rd District of California. What is less well known is the role she played in ending the Apartheid regime in South Africa. While serving in the California state assembly, she pushed for legislation that would divest all state pension funds from any businesses operating in Apartheid South Africa. The tactic of boycott, divest, and sanction exerted a great deal of pressure on the Apartheid regime and helped hasten its end.
