These Fierce Females Are Extraordinary
Every Friday, we highlight a #fiercefemale on our social media who has done something inspiring and made a difference in the world. Some are from history and others are alive today. It's my favorite post of the week and is so fun to put together! I wanted to bring them to our blog, so here's some of the amazing women we first featured.
Lee Miller
Lee Miller was born in 1907 in New York. In her 20's she began as a model for Vogue and others. She then moved to Paris and worked with the well-known Surrealist artist, Man RAY. Miller transformed herself from model to artist. She created her own works and was instrumental in the invention of the "solarisation" photography technique. She made another shift, from being Condé Nast's London fashion correspondent to a war reporter during WWII. She was the only woman combat photo-journalist to cover the front line war in Europe during that time. Sh never let anyone define her and she reinvented herself many times and was incredibly successful doing it.
Marsha P. Johnson
Marsha P. Johnson was a pillar of New York City's gay liberation movement for nearly 25 years. And she helped found one of the country's first safe spaces for transgender and homeless youth. But LGBTQ rights weren't her only cause. She also was on the front lines of protests against oppressive policing. And all of this while wearing amazing flower headpieces. "How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? I mean how many years does it take people to see that?"
Shirley Chisholm
Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968 and hired an all female staff for her DC office. Then she became the first Black woman to run for President in 1972. Her slogan was "Unbought and Unbossed". She said she ran for the presidency to challenge the status quo and to inspire others to believe they are capable of doing the same.
Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde was an American poet, essayist, and autobiographer known for her passionate writings on lesbian feminism and racial issues. She described herself as "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet". She was born in Harlem, New York, NY in 1934 to immigrant parents. As a child she would read and memorize poems. When asked about herself, she would recite a part of a poem to answer, speaking through poetry. When she couldn't find the right poem to express her feelings, she began writing her own poetry in high school. Lorde went on to write 18 books of essays and poetry, for which she won numerous awards. Her work and her voice are as relevant today as ever.
Yusra Mardini
Yusra is a Syrian swimmer who fled the Syrian war in 2015. She and her sister reached Lebanon and then Turkey before departing for Greece on an overcrowded boat. The boat's motor stopped working so Yusra, her sister Sara, and two others who knew how to swim, jumped in to the waves and swam for three and a half hours to stop the boat from capsizing. A year later, Yusra became a member of the first ever Refugee Olympic Team and competed at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. Yusra is a Goodwill Ambassador and works to alter global perceptions of refugees. Her courage and determination are an inspiration and show that even through the most difficult challenges you can achieve amazing things!
If you want to see more, be sure to follow us on Instagram for a new #fiercefemale every week.❤️