Women are known for making trouble, good trouble, and that hasn’t just popped up out of nowhere in the last century. No, we have a long history of not “staying in our place” and taking control of fields full of misogynistic men. We have a long history of taking bold steps towards social change. We have a long history of obtaining jobs no one wanted us to and rising up to occasions set directly against us. We have a long history of doing the things we supposedly shouldn’t.
In celebration of this history, let us remember and celebrate women who have been overlooked by contemporary society. Women who have had their stories covered up by and stolen by men. So, here are a few of the women that I believe, did all the things they shouldn’t have done, and changed the world for the better.
Rachel Carson- As a nature writer and ecologist, Rachel Carson challenged the corrupt systems polluting our environment in the mid 20th century. She wrote numerous books describing the impact of human society on the nature we know and love. She focused primarily on our relationship with our oceans in her earlier works, and later focused on the widespread misuse of chemical pesticides in agriculture and other facets of contemporary society. She launched the environmental movement today with her book “Silent Spring”, and thanks to her, a nationwide ban was put on DDT and other pesticides that are harmful to nature and human beings. Additionally, her works helped create the Environmental Protection Agency with the purpose of pesticide regulation and protecting the concerns of those within agriculture.
Mildred Loving- Aa an activist of African American and Native American descent during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, Mildred Loving and her husband Richard radically changed legal marriages. After meeting as children, Mildred and Richard decided to get married at the age of 18, but Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924 prevented interracial marriage in the state of Virginia. The couple then drove to Washington, D.C. and got married. After they returned home, a few weeks later, they were arrested for violating the Racial Integrity Act. In 1963, after being relocated to Washington, D.C. and multiple secret visits to see family in Virginia, the couple brought their case to the ACLU. Afterwards their case was heard at the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, and then at the United States Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia. In 1967, the Supreme Court struck down Virginia’s law and sided with the Loving’s, allowing them to return home and end the ban on interracial marriages in various other states.
Shirley Chisholm- As the first African American woman in Congress and the first African American woman to run for President, Shirley Chisholm paved the way for African Americans, and women, as she pursued and achieved many roles in the American government. While holding a seat in Congress, she fought for more than 50 pieces of legislation focusing on racial and gender equality, poverty and ending the Vietnam War. While in Congress, Chisholm went after the 1972 Democratic Party presidential nomination where she faced backlash and discrimination that prevented her from participating in televised primaries. Ultimately, she only received 10% of the total delegate votes, even with an under-funded campaign and a primarily male Congressional Black Caucus. Described as a “catalyst for change,” she inspired numerous women to run for office in a variety of government positions. Most notably, Kamala Harris, the first black woman to become Vice President of the United States, honored Chisholm’s legacy by wearing a purple dress during her inauguration.
Huda Sha’arawi- An Egyptian feminist leader, suffragette and founder of the Egyptian Feminist Union, Sha’arawi organized lectures and meetings for Egyptian women to inspire them to fight for a way out of their repressed status, and establish a women’s welfare society with the intent to raise money for poor women in Egypt. By 1923, Sha’arawi founded and became the first president of the Egyptian Feminist Union. She began running women-lead social service projects that she argued were incredibly important to help women widen horizons, teach practical knowledge, and empower them to make their own way in the world.
Ida B. Wells- Prominent African American activist, journalist and researcher during the late 19th century, Wells wrote influential articles discussing the conditions of African Americans in the South. She dedicated her life and writings to combating prejudice, violence and African American equality. Wells also launched investigations into the lynching occurring in the post-Reconstruction South, which she documented in many pamphlets and journals circulating in the South. These investigations challenged and dismantled the narrative that Black people, men in particular, were having relationships with white woman that ended in sexual violence. Of which contributed to the idea that Black people were barbaric. Her role in the United States Suffrage Movement was strongly linked to her fight against racism and desire to use suffrage as a way for Black women to become politically active and vote African Americans into political office. Wells also shed light on the role of White women in violence and prejudice against Black men, noting that the honor White women maintained for their husbands allowed for Southern White men to get away with murder. Her work exposed the injustices against African Americans occurring in America, highlighting the ways common White individuals contributed to the oppression of Black people, and bringing the topic of violence against African Americans into the public sphere.
Simone de Beauvoir- A French writer, known for her works on feminism, existentialist philosophy, political activism and social theory, Beauvoir led the way for the foundations of contemporary feminism. She pointed out the sexism prevalent throughout human history, arguing that it contributed to the oppression of women in contemporary society. Her best-known work is “The Second Sex,” defining the patriarchal nature of society and asserting that women have the ability to elevate themselves and find their own freedom. In “The Second Sex,” she argues that men made women the “Other” of society by creating a sense of mystery around the problems women faced. This book and other works helped to launch the Second Wave of Feminism and contributed greatly to the French women’s liberation movement, beliefs in women’s economic independence and a call of equal education.
While there are more women who have defied the rules of society in an effort to bring about social change, these women have been commonly overlooked. Their efforts have brought women liberation, gender equality, racial equality, and environmental awareness to the forefront of society, and have made leaps and bounds in oppressive institutions. Their works should not be forgotten, they are inspirations and role models for the generation of women today. Let us all continue to do the things we supposedly shouldn’t, look at all the good we can do.