WOMEN'S HISTORY
by Lucille Block and Wesley Grace Foster-Hoke
Many women in history have done great things but not gotten the credit they deserve.In this article you will read about 19 women who have changed history and made the world a better, stronger place. We picked 19 women to celebrate the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote. These women have done some truly amazing things. Take the pole at the end so we know which woman inspired you most and what woman in your life inspires you.
The first few women we are mentioning are all activists. If you have heard of Maya Angelou you know that she is a American poet, a civil rights activist and more. In her stories she wrote about what she believed and told her readers to NEVER stop fighting in what you believe in. Another activist, Storme DeLarverie was a New York City Drag King, a woman who performs on stage dressed as a man. She grew up in New Orleans, LA to a wealthy white father and african american mother. Now you might be wondering how she is an activist: well she participated in the Stonewall Riots some say she threw the first brick. Storme said that she was just walking by and felt like this riot was calling her, she knew it was time for change. Sadly Storme died a couple of years ago but she has taught many people to be your true self and love you for who you are. Another activist is Stacy Abrams. Stacey Abrams grew up in Gulfport Mississippi with five other siblings. She went to Yale Law school and is an award winning arthur of eight romantic suspense novels under the pen name Selena Montgomery. Stacey is an American voting rights activist. She ran for Governor on the Democratic ticket but lost. But this inspired her to help get black people out to vote. This changed the course of our current election. Stacey Abrams is an activist, writer, lawyer, and empowerer. The last activist is Gloria Steinem. Gloria Steinmen was born in Ohio on March 25th, 1935. She is a journalist, activist, and feminist. She was born in Ohio. She has written books about empowerment of women and more. Steinmen worked for the CIA in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Overall she was recognized for what she did to help empower women and earn the respect they deserve. These activists have made our world a better place.
The next three women have something in common. They all have been involved in their country's government. The first woman is Belva Ann Lockwood. Belva Ann Lockwood was born October 24th, 1830 in Royalton, New York. She was a feminist who ran for president before women could even vote. Lockwood was an American attorney, politician, educator, and author. She is very brave to run for president in a time when women were seen as weak. If she were alive today she might have won. The second woman is Princess Diana. Princess Diana was born on July 1st in England. So many people do not shine academically but still become some of the most influential people in history and that was also true for Princess Diana. Princess Diana’s childhood she said was not the most happy. When she was only seven her parents split then a couple years her dad got married and got full custody of Diana. She has said that she did not have the best relationship with her stepmother. But these challenges did not stop her from doing great things. She has helped the mental ill, worked with the homeless, drug addicts, and the ederly. As we have seen Diana had some struggles but she overcame them. The last woman is Shirley Chisholm. Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924. Chisholm ran for president in 1972. She not only ran for President but she also was the vice chair of the House of Democratic Caucus. The House of Democratic Caucus is a congressional caucus composed of all Democratic Representatives in the United States House of Representatives and is responsible for nominating and electing the Democratic Party leadership in the chamber. Shirley did many things in her life and overcame her racial and sexist barriers. All three of these women have done incredible things and have overcome the barriers they have faced.
These next women have played sports. The first woman is Monica Seles. Monica Seles was born in Serbia on December 2, 1973. She is a tennis player who won 9 grand slam single titles and eight of those titles while she was only a teenager. Seles was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. One match in Hungary she got stabbed by a mentally ill fan, even though this almost killed her she came back and continued to play. Several players and historians have stated that Seles had the potential to become the most accomplished female player of all time had she not been stabbed. The second woman is Billie Jean King. Billie Jean King was born on November 22 in California. King was so devoted to tennis that she bought her fist racket with her own money. She became interested in tennis because of her friend. Many people have said that she has one of the fercist backhands. King was one of the best female tennis players of all time. Throughout her years she has won 39 GRAND SLAM TITLES. Being one of the best tennis players came with great responsibilities. One of these responsibilities was fighting for equal rights. In 1973 King and Bobby Rigs faced off in THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES. Billie Jean won 6 to 3. With that win King helped the female tennis players get equal money payment. She had setback when she went public about being a lesbian and lost all of her endorcment deals. She has accomplished many things and lost much too. Overall she is said to be one of the best tennis players ever.
The next three women are all pioneers who have changed the world. The first woman is Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a leader of the women’s rights movement in the 1920s. She helped pave the way for many women today, and helped earn women the right to vote. The second woman is Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was born in the Ottoman empire but moved and started a church. Her church helped many people. She helped give many people a home and place to be when they were completely alone in the world. She did this all through her belief in good and the holy spirit. Her religion guided her throughout her life and she inspired lot’s of people. The last woman is Sonia Sotomayor. Sonia Sotomayor was born in New York City on June 25th, 1954. She went to Princeton University and Yale Law School. She has also written many books. On August 8, 2009 she was appointed to the supreme court by Former President Barack Obama. Sonia also worked closely with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, another woman in the Supreme Court. Overall all of these women have inspired much change.
The next three women are the three Hidden Figures. The first is Kathrine Johnson. Kathrine Johnson was born in West Virginia on August 26th, 1918.She was an African American mathematician and one of the Hidden Figures. Johnson was an expert mathematician for NASA called a computer. She was essentially a human calculator. Kathrine has accomplished many things including winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the NASA group achievement award, and the Congressional Gold Medal, as well as playing a key role in sending the first man to the moon. The second woman is Dorothy Vaughn. Dorothy Vaughn was born in Missouri on September 20th, 1910. Dorothy was one of three Hidden Figures. (Read below↓and above↑ for the other two.) They were three incredible women that worked for NASA and did many crucial contributions we are learning about now. She was NASA's first African American Manger, this was a huge accomplishment because she was not only an African American but also a woman. Her being the first African American Manager for NASA paved the way for many others. She not only became the first AAM but also won the Congressional Medal of Honor. Vaughn accomplished many things in her long life, and we credit those achievements today. The last woman is Mary Jackson. Mary Jackson was a very important black woman in history. Born in Virginia on April 9th, 1921, she was the first African American Woman to work for NASA. Mary along with Dorothy Vaughn and Kathrine Johnson were all Hidden Figures. These three Hidden Figures were incredible women who did all sorts of things to help NASA and get the first man on the moon. Jackson went on to win a Congressional Medal. They all did all this when there was still racism and sexism. Imagine what you could do!
The next two women are both involved in Science and discovery of the unknown. The first woman is Sally Ride. Sally Ride was born in California on May 26th, 1951. She was the first woman in space in the U.S! Overall she was the third woman but it’s a huge accomplishment. Ride started working for NASA in 1978.She rode on the Challenger twice but then eventually left NASA in 1987. Her partners in life were Steven Hawley another astronaut and Tam O'Shaughnessy a former Women's Tennis Association player. She encouraged people to reach for the stars. The second woman is Marie Curie. She was a French Physicist who grew up in Warsaw, Poland. She discovered Radium and Polonium which are both chemical elements that are on the periodic table. Curie accomplished many things including, she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, she was also a World War I hero, and she contributed to try finding the cure for Cancer. In her life she helped find many scientific discoveries relevant for scientists today. Both of these women have helped us have a better understanding of life as we kn
The last two women are both performers. Josphine Baker was born in St. Louis on June 3rd, 1906. Baker was a French Civil Rights Activist. She devoted her life to the idea of everybody living together in peace. She being a black, biexual woman wanted everyone to be happy and accept each other and themselves. Ava DuVernay was born in Longbeach, California on August 24th, 1972. She is a filmmaker even though she never went to film school. DuVernay stands for equality and has inspired many young women. She had accomplished many things, she was the first African American woman to win an award at the SunDance film Festival, in 2018 she became the first woman of color to direct a live action movie with a budget over 100 million dollars, and she has inspired young people with her movies and empowerment.
Each and everyone of these women all have something in common and that is that they have all changed the world in their own way. At the very end of the article you can see a photo gallery and take our form on which woman you thought was most inspiring.
WOMEN'S HISTORY FORM