It’s no secret that women’s contributions in history aren’t widely acknowledged in the education system. When asked to name five or more famous women in history from beyond the past fifty years, a majority of the general population will be left scratching their heads. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are eight important and inspirational feminists everyone should know.
Shirley Chisholm
To quote BBC News, “Before there was Hillary Clinton, there was Shirley Chisholm.” She was the first black Congresswoman, the first black Presidential candidate, and the first female to run for the Democratic Presidential nomination. After her death, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Shirley Chisholm paved the way for both women and people of color in politics.
(Photo courtesy of http://www.blackfu.com/this-just-in-a-black-woman-tried-to-run-for-presi…)
Eleanor Roosevelt
Well known as a former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt was an avid supporter of women’s liberation and empowerment in the workforce and in politics. She fought for women’s involvement in the establishment of the New Deal, opposed child labor and labor exploitation, fought strongly for the rights of working class women, very openly supported more rights and opportunities for women, and much more.
Sylvia Rivera
Sylvia Rivera was a huge figure in the LGBTQ Rights Movement, acting as a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries, and the Gay Activists Alliance. In her youth, she was kicked out of her home at eleven for being transgender and became involved in prostitution before her involvement in social justice issues. A prominent social justice activist, Sylvia Rivera’s past has been tied to the Civil Rights Movement, second wave feminism, and the Stonewall Riots.
(Photo courtesy of https://srlp.org/about/who-was-sylvia-rivera/)
Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was an avid abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Sojourner Truth escaped from slavery, and in an attempt to regain custody of her son, became the first black woman to win a court case against a white man. She’s most known for her famous speech given during the Civil War, “Ain’t I a Woman?”
(Photo courtesy of http://www.biography.com/people/sojourner-truth-9511284)
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was an active leader in the Civil Rights Movement, although she is widely known for being the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr. She took over control of the Civil Rights Movement after her husband’s assassination, and became an active participant in the Women’s Movement. Coretta Scott King is widely regarded as the “First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement.”
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor is another inspirational political figure, serving as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. She is the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, as well as its first Latina Justice. Sonia Sotomayor argues in favor of criminal justice reform, as well as social reform in terms of race, gender and ethnicity.
(Photo courtesy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Sotomayor)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second appointed female Supreme Court Justice, is a well known women’s rights advocate. Before joining the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent her legal career attempting to further the Constitutional rights that women hold, and was a volunteer lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union.
(Photo courtesy of http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/426467/all-frills-nyt-reviews-rbg-i…)
Betty Friedan
Betty Friedan’s extremely famous and influential novel, The Feminine Mystique, changed the lives of countless women living out the “happy homemaker” lifestyle who were resigned to roles as housekeepers and mothers. Her novel discussed the unspoken dissatisfaction many women felt with the expectations for their lives to be primarily centered around having children and a husband. The book was well known for giving a voice to a voiceless issue, and has been attributed to the start of second wave feminism.
(Photo courtesy of http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/rosie-the-riveter)