“My girls and women, you should live that the world may be better by your having lived in it.”~Clara A. Howard
American educator and missionary
Hello all and welcome to our weekly salon. Tomorrow we kick off our month long celebration of Women's History Month. And community, I love WHM. I'm about celebrating, supporting and empowering women 365 days. We are doubling up our Women Writers of Color and COLA features. There will be at least two giveaways and more quizzes. Each Sunday for the month of March we will address some aspect of women's history.We're planning a few special articles as well.
This week I want to talk about the women who impacted your life. Who influenced your views and aspirations? Tell us about historic and public figures you wanted to emulate? Were there aunts or teachers who supported your dreams and talents? Don't be shy, tell us about your mom.
And let's not forget books. Tell us about a favorite biography, autobiography or memoir. Please stick with these. We'll cover other titles later in the month.
For me, it was Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm. Many of you know the stories. When I graduated from middle school, a favorite teacher, Mrs. Stankowitz gave me a copy of Barbara Jordan's biography. Ms. Jordan impressed me. She worked hard, excelled, stood her ground and was a no nonsense woman. How could anyone not be impressed and Shirley Chisholm? She was before her time. She believed in herself and stepped up when others were busy talking about when the right time was. She was the first black person to run for president. Women don't wait for the right time. We act when the time calls for action. I quote her often so I don't think I need to say more.
I'd rather hear about you and those who impacted your life.
9 comments:
The women in my family were all strong women. My mom's brothers were all given college educations, but not the girls. My mom was determined to encourage education for her daughters as well as her son.
I gave your blog an award!
www.readerbuzz.blogspot.com
One of the women who has influenced me is a friend of my mom's: Naomi. Single mom, brilliant woman, local politician, fights for what's right, etc. She's just great.
My mom has been a total inspiration for me. :D
As far as memoirs, Madam Secretary by Madeleine Albright really inspired me. And when I was in elementary school, I read a series of biographies about the First Woman _ that were all really cool!
i was always inspired by teachers, my favorite being the jamaican woman who read us stories in the library. she was AWESOME!
i also read a lot of biographies when i was a kid with my favorite being the diary of anne frank. i know it should be depressing but i loved how she still lived and chronicled her life despite the horror around her. that spoke to me.
Jessie-great way to describe how Anne Frank spoke to you--I completely agree with her as influence on me. Djuna Barnes was the first outcast or "other" woman writer whose life I suddenly needed to know more about. Emily Dickinson, Amy Tann, and Toni Morrison all kept me sane in HS. My best friend's mother modeled for me that being an adult did not have to be painful.
My mom, aunt, and daughter are the three women that keep me going. Each teach me lessons in kindness, love, perseverance, and faith.
One memoir that's touched me has Been The Liar's Club by Mary Karr. I think it has to do more with Karr's brutal honesty and her ability to bounce back against whatever life has thrown at her.
The person who inspires me the most is Yaa Asantewaa. She was an Ashanti queen who defied the British troops and threatened to take them on herself when the Ashanti men seemed unequal to the fight. She teaches me courage in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Yvonne
http://lifelinesproverbsliving.blogspot.com/
Marlene Adler Marks, Daughter, Wife, Mother, Author and Journalist who passed away in 2002 after surviving the death of her husband 5 years before. She was a great author, strong independent woman and wrote the best columns in the Los Angeles newspaper. I never missed a column and read all her books. She inspired me constantly with her writings. She was just 54 years old when she died.
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