Women’s History Month on Charlotte Digital Billboards: Celebrating the Women Who Shaped Our Communities
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March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the trailblazers, innovators, and leaders who have shaped our communities and our country.
Across Charlotte, North Carolina, and the nation, women have broken barriers in healthcare, government, science, entrepreneurship, and civil rights. These historic women in North Carolina and across America remind us that progress starts with bold individuals who challenge the status quo and create lasting impact.
At Adams Outdoor Advertising, we don’t just share these stories, we make them impossible to ignore. Through the power of Charlotte’s digital billboard network, brands and organizations can take these meaningful moments and amplify them across high-traffic corridors, reaching thousands of consumers where they live, work, and commute every day.
Out-of-home (OOH) delivers scale, frequency, and real-world presence that other media simply can’t match, turning messages into movement and awareness into action. From celebrating women pioneers in Charlotte, NC to launching impactful women’s empowerment campaigns, digital billboards place these stories front and center in the community.
This month, we’re spotlighting remarkable women whose influence continues to shape our world and showing how OOH can transform powerful history into bold, high-impact messages that truly stand out.
From early healthcare pioneers to leaders in law, education, and innovation, women have played a foundational role in shaping Charlotte and North Carolina into the thriving region it is today. That legacy continues in one of the fastest-growing markets in the country, with Charlotte now home to more than 940,000 residents and ranking among the largest and fastest-growing U.S. cities. The Charlotte region is adding an estimated 150+ new residents every day, fueling economic expansion, increased commuter traffic, and continued development across key corridors .
For advertisers, this growth translates into scale and movement. With tens of thousands of daily commuters and average commute times hovering around 25–28 minutes, audiences are consistently on the road, creating high-frequency exposure opportunities for brands . Charlotte drivers also experience increasing congestion and extended time in transit, reinforcing the value of out-of-home (OOH) advertising as a high-impact, unavoidable medium.
Today, Charlotte’s expanding footprint, from Uptown to I-77, I-85, and I-485 corridors makes it an ideal environment for digital billboard campaigns that amplify meaningful messages at scale. From celebrating historic women in North Carolina to launching modern women’s empowerment campaigns, the strength of the Charlotte digital billboard network ensures these stories are seen, shared, and remembered across the community.
As Adams Charlotte General Manager, Julie Johnson, shares:
“Charlotte was built by women who led, innovated, and pushed boundaries. We’re proud to spotlight women across the Carolinas honoring their impact and inspiring more to help shape what’s next for the Queen City and beyond.”
Adams Outdoor’s Charlotte digital network spans the region’s most traveled corridors, delivering unmatched reach across commuter, residential, and visitor traffic flows.
Healthcare Pioneer /Founded Charlotte’s First Hospitals and Expanded Access to Care
Jane Wilkes is often referred to as the “Godmother of Charlotte Hospitals,” and remains one of the most influential women pioneers in Charlotte, NC.
In 1876, she founded St. Peter’s Hospital, North Carolina’s first civilian hospital. Recognizing that segregation prevented Black residents from receiving care there, she later helped establish Good Samaritan Hospital in 1891, one of the first hospitals in the United States dedicated to serving African American patients.
Wilkes also founded Charlotte’s first orphanage and spent decades fundraising, nursing during the Civil War, and advocating for improved medical care in the region. The hospitals she helped establish laid the foundation for what is now Atrium Health, one of the Southeast’s largest healthcare systems.
Her story remains a powerful example of how historic women in North Carolina helped build the institutions communities rely on today.
Sarah Parker
Legal Trailblazer/First Woman Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
Her journey from Charlotte to the top of the state’s judiciary reflects how determination and leadership can reshape institutions and expand opportunities for future generations of women in law and government.
Today, her legacy continues to inspire women’s empowerment campaigns and community initiatives that encourage young leaders to pursue careers in public service.
North Carolina: Breaking Barriers Across the State
Across the Tar Heel State, women have played vital roles in advancing civil rights, education, and equality.
While this Women’s History Month campaign is rooted in Charlotte, its impact reflects the strength of Adams Outdoor’s broader footprint across North Carolina and beyond. From Charlotte’s rapidly growing metro region to the Piedmont Triad’s 1.7+ million population spanning Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point, brands have the ability to scale their message across multiple high-growth markets.
The Triad market alone represents a dynamic, centrally located hub with nearly 800,000 residents in the Greensboro–High Point metro and a workforce supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, creating consistent commuter traffic and strong daily impressions.
Through Adams Outdoor’s network, campaigns can extend seamlessly across key corridors throughout North Carolina and into neighboring regions of South Carolina and Virginia, delivering regional reach, increased frequency, and cross-market visibility. This scale allows brands to take meaningful messages, like honoring historic women in North Carolina, and amplify them far beyond a single city, connecting with audiences across the entire state.
Gertrude Weil
Women’s Rights Leader/ Fought for Women’s Right to Vote in North Carolina
Goldsboro native Gertrude Weil became one of North Carolina’s most influential advocates for women’s suffrage.
As a leader of the North Carolina Equal Suffrage Association, she helped mobilize support for women’s right to vote. But her work didn’t stop when the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920.
Weil spent the rest of her life advocating for labor reform, education, and civil rights, and she was among the first white women in North Carolina to publicly support racial integration.
Her lifelong commitment to justice helped push the state toward greater equality and opportunity.
Mary Jane Patterson
Education Pioneer/ First African American Woman to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
Born in Raleigh, Mary Jane Patterson made history in 1862 when she became the first African American woman in the United States to earn a bachelor’s degree.
She graduated from Oberlin College during the Civil War, an extraordinary accomplishment at a time when both women and African Americans faced enormous barriers to higher education.
Patterson later became a respected educator and served as principal of what would become Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., one of the most academically rigorous schools for Black students in the country.
Her achievement paved the way for generations of Black women pursuing higher education.
Designing for Impact: Bringing Women’s Stories to Life Through Digital Creative
Behind every impactful billboard is creative designed to communicate instantly. Across Charlotte’s digital billboard network, where audiences are constantly on the move, clarity and visual impact are key.
For this Women’s History Month campaign, the focus was on simple, high-contrast design, minimal copy, and bold color ensuring each message could be quickly understood and stand out along busy corridors.
As Adams Outdoor Senior Art Director, designer Alyssa Scheffers shares:
“We focused on simplicity with strong black and white visuals, minimal copy, and bright bold colors to ensure the message could be understood instantly by the community and grab attention.
The goal was not only to capture attention, but to inspire.
“We wanted to recognize and celebrate women who have made incredible contributions… Our hope is that these stories inspire future generations to always dream big.”
Through thoughtful use of scale, typography, and color, the creative brings these stories to life, showing how flexible digital design can turn meaningful messages into can’t-miss moments across the community.
Dr. Patricia Bath
Medical Innovator / Inventor of Technology that Restored Sight to the Blind
Dr. Patricia Bath was a pioneering ophthalmologist who changed the future of eye care.
In 1986, she invented the Laserphaco Probe, a medical device that revolutionized cataract surgery and helped restore vision to millions of people around the world.
Bath became the first African American woman to receive a medical patent and spent her career working to eliminate preventable blindness and healthcare disparities.
Her work represents the powerful intersection of medicine, technology, and innovation, inspiring modern women’s empowerment campaigns that highlight women in STEM fields.
Dr. Ellen Ochoa
Astronaut + Technology Leader / First Hispanic Woman in Space and Former Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Dr. Ellen Ochoa made history in 1993 when she became the first Hispanic woman to travel to space as a NASA astronaut. During her career, she flew on four space shuttle missions and logged nearly 1,000 hours in orbit, contributing to scientific research and technology demonstrations aboard the Space Shuttle.
Before joining NASA, Ochoa was an electrical engineer and inventor, helping develop optical systems used in space exploration and image processing. Her work bridged science, engineering, and discovery.
In 2013, she broke another barrier when she became the first Hispanic director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, one of the most important hubs for human spaceflight in the United States.
Ochoa’s career continues to inspire new generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers.
Over the course of Women’s History Month, this campaign will take over 78 digital billboards across the Charlotte market, delivering more than 15.3M impressions/weekly and creating unmatched visibility at scale. From Uptown and Center City Charlotte to high-traffic corridors like I-77, I-85, I-485, and Independence Boulevard, these messages will reach audiences throughout their daily journeys with extended coverage into York County, South Carolina for true regional impact.
Building an Impactful Community Billboard Campaign to Celebrate Women Who Shape Our Future
The impact of these women still shapes our communities today, and outdoor advertising ensures their stories are seen where it matters most. Across Charlotte, digital billboards deliver bold, high-frequency visibility, putting meaningful messages directly in front of audiences along their daily routes.
With flexible, real-time creative, campaigns can rotate stories, highlight multiple leaders, and keep messaging fresh throughout Women’s History Month, maximizing engagement and reach. OOH turns powerful history into can’t-miss moments, helping brands and organizations connect with the community, inspire action, and make a lasting impression.
👉 Contact us today to learn how your brand can celebrate the people and stories that shape our communities through impactful outdoor advertising.
