We all have our girl crushes that grace the silver screen or top the Billboard charts, but what about the women found within the pages of our history books? These women are oft-forgotten in a world that places emphasis on choosing between Lupita and JLaw. After scouring the amazing Tumblr Cool Chicks From History, I’ve compiled several inspiring women you may not have heard of (along with some familiar faces) to help celebrate Women’s History Month (which is this month, in case you forgot!).
Connie Chung
Award-winning journalist, news anchor, and trailblazer, Connie Chung became the first Asian and the second woman to anchor one of America’s major network newscasts, holding positions at CBS, ABC, NBC and CNN. Her most noted interviews include Magic Johnson and Chinese leader Li Peng. (via)
“I think men are allowed to be fat and bald and ugly and women aren’t. And it’s just not – there is no equality there.”
Georgia O’Keeffe
Best known for her stunning and larger-than-life paintings of blooms and Southwestern style, Georgia O’Keefe is recognized as the mother of American Modernism and of the feminist art movement through her use of female iconography. (via)
“The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I think I’m one of the best painters.”
Malala Yousafzai
Malala made headlines after she was shot in the head on her way to school for speaking out against the Taliban via her blog for BBC. She is an advocate for education and women, as well as the youngest Nobel Prize nominee. (via)
“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.”
Sonia Sotomayor
In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was named the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court as well as the third woman to serve (in addition to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O’ Connor). (via)
“As you discover what strength you can draw from your community in this world from which it stands apart, look outward as well as inward. Build bridges instead of walls.”
Marilyn Monroe & Audrey Hepburn
I know, I know. It’s almost impossible to enter a dorm room without being greeted by a poster of one of these leading ladies, but aside from all the diamonds, glamour, and sex appeal, these women were incredible activists and humanitarians.
When Marilyn wasn’t busy swooning over diamonds and wooing the masses, she was a proponent for both civil rights and the arts. When Ella Fitzgerald was turned down from one of the most popular clubs in Hollywood due to her race, Marilyn personally made a phone call to the owner promising that if Ella was booked, she would sit up front every night. The publicity was hard to resist and Ella never had to sing in a small venue again. (via)
“I don’t mind living in a man’s world, as long as I can be a woman in it.”
Toward the end of her film career, Audrey traveled with UNICEF to various countries including Ethopia, Turkey, Sudan, and Vietnam. From there she visited orphanages, participated in immunization tours, and helped supply food starving children. (via)
“There is a moral obligation that those who have should give to those who don’t.”
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was a civil rights activist and legal advocate for African-Ameicans and women. She was the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in the United States (Economics, University of Pennsylvania) and the first woman to receive a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. With her degree, she was first African American woman to be admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar. (via)
“I knew well that the only way I could get that door open was to knock it down; because I knocked all of them down.”
For all you Greek girls, Sadie was the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.