Women are powerful in so many ways. Anything that is deemed a man’s job, a woman can do and succeed at as well. Women produce impeccable results while going through the trials and tribulations of their menstrual cycles. They jump back to work after bearing and giving birth to children. In honor of Women’s History Month, here are some iconic women.
- Beyoncé
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It’s already known that Beyoncé is a phenomenal artist and performer, but what makes her even more of a phenomenal woman is her creation and management of her own company, Parkwood Entertainment. When explaining why she started her own company, Beyoncé said, “I started my own company when I decided to manage myself. It was important that I didn’t go to some big management company.” Beyoncé has done a lot through Parkwood. She provided a huge contribution to the company’s films, Cadillac Records, Obsessed, Homecoming, and Black Is King. Parkwood provided Beyoncé with the opportunity to have artists accomplish their dreams of entering the music industry through signing Chloe x Halle, Ingrid Burley, and Sophie Beem. Beyoncé’s television shows, such as “Lemonade” and “Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift” were done through Parkwood. Even Beyoncé’s clothing brand, Ivy Park, is distributed through Parkwood. This shows how much of a powerhouse Beyoncé is.
- Kalpana Chawla
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On January 16, 2003, Kalpana Chawla became the first person and first woman of Indian descent to go into space. She was one of the crew members/participants of STS-107 Shuttle Colombia. When the shuttle was on its way back to Earth, it unfortunately disintegrated, killing Chawla as well as her six colleagues. However, her legacy sure does live on.
- Stacey Abrams
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Stacey Abrams is a political figure, serving in the House of Representatives as Georgia’s representative for eleven years. In 2018, Abrams ran for governor of Georgia under the Democratic Party, making her the first Black woman to run for governor under a major political party. Her goal of becoming the first Black woman governor was crushed, unfortunately, as she lost the election. Having been a witness to the Secretary of Office mismanagement of the 2018 election, Abrams launched Fair Fight. The organization aims to make sure that each American’s voice is heard in an election. It was through Fair Fight President Joe Biden ended up winning the 2020 election.
- Sylvia Rivera
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Sylvia Rivera was a powerful advocate for numerous social justice issues. She was a pioneer in the fight for civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and worked with Marsha P. Johnson in ensuring that the LGBTQ+ community receives civil rights. To combat the problem of homeless transgender invidividuals in New York City during the 1970s, Rivera provided them a home through the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), an organization that she created with Johnson. She also advocated for the civil rights of ethnic minorities and homeless people.
- Marsha P. Johnson
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Marsha P. Johnson was a Black trans woman who was also a pioneer in the fight for civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community. She is often credited as the first to throw a brick into the Stonewall Inn, serving as a catalyst for the Stonewall Riots. She was also vocal in the fight against the spread of AIDS. The “P” in her name stands for “Pay It No Mind” and served as a response to questions about her gender. Civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community still have a long way to go, but if it wasn’t for Marsha P. Johnson, LGBTQ+ individuals would probably still be starting from the very bottom in their fight for protection and acceptance.
- Ruth Handler
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If you played with Barbie dolls during your childhood, this is all thanks to Ruth Handler. Handler created the Barbie doll, and the rest is history. The success of the Barbie doll led to Handler becoming the President of Mattel, a toy manufacturing company.
- Junko Tabei
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Junko Tabei is known as the first woman to reach Mount Everest’s summit and the first woman to reach each summit of the Seven Summits: Mount Everest, Mount Aconcagua, Mount Denali, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Mount Vinson, and Mount Carstensz Pyramid.
- Pleasant Rowland
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If you played with American Girl Dolls growing up (and even still have yours like I do), then give thanks to Pleasant Rowland. Rowland is the creator of the dolls and the founder of the American Girl Doll Company. There are now 14 American Girl stores: 13 in the United States and 1 in Canada.
- Jillian Mercado
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Jillian Mercado is a model and activist. When she was a child, she was diagnosed with spastic muscular dystrophy and has to use a wheelchair as a result. She grew up loving the fashion industry, even though it was-and still is somewhat-predominantly infused with Eurocentric beauty standards and ableist sentiments. This inspired Mercado to make her mark in the industry by attempting to dismantle these aspects. Mercado chose to attend college at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she majored in marketing, and interned at Allure in order to “learn the politics behind fashion so that I could hire people who looked like me.” Life changed for her in 2014, when she booked her first professional modeling gig as a model for Diesel. Shortly after, she signed to IMG Models and has since modeled for numerous brands such as Nordstrom, Target, and Olay. She was also featured on a billboard in New York City and even got to model for Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour merchandise. She was the first person with a disability to appear on the cover of Teen Vogue. She has and continues to use her voice to advocate for increased inclusivity in the fashion industry.
- Alice Coachman
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Alice Coachman is an Olympic gold medal winner, having competed in the track & field category. Growing up in a time of segregation, she could not train in the same fields as white people. As a result, she found alternatives. To practice the high jumps, she used ropes and sticks and also ran barefoot. She made her mark in the 1948 London Olympics where she placed first in the high jump. As a result, she became the first Black woman to win an Olympic medal, the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal, and the first Black person to be awarded with an endorsement deal.
These are some iconic women from throughout history that have made contributions to the world. They also showcased that women are powerful and just as capable of performing the same actions that men can. I hope this article has refreshed your memory on some of the women you may already know, as well as newly introduced you to some iconic women. Happy Women’s History Month!