It’s National Women’s History Month! Most people reference famous women in history when they think of women’s history like Jane Austen, Marie Curie, Maya Angelou, Florence Nightingale, Helen Keller, and many others. There are so many inspirational women out there, it is impossible to name them all, but these are my top four women who inspired me and I believe to have shaped history.
- Ruth B Ginsberg
Ruth B Ginsberg shaped the Supreme Court of the United States with her courage and graciousness. She faced adversity and actively fought against gender discrimination and for equality. This is one of the many things I admire about her. Ginsberg was one of the stepping stones to showing resilience in our courts and taught us to never back down in what we believe in.
- Serena Williams
Serena Williams shaped women’s sports, or all of sports, into the way it is today. She won more grand slam single titles than any man or woman during the open era in tennis. Especially as a woman of color, this was inspirational for those wanting to pursue their dreams since Serena did. She also overcame financial disabilities and paved the way for marginalized communities. Serena is an inspiration and role model to so many.
- Selena Gomez
Something I love about Selena Gomez besides her singing and acting, is her advocacy for mental health. Gomez donates a portion of her proceeds from her makeup line “Rare Beauty” to the Rare Impact Fund and other philanthropic foundations and individuals to increase mental health services in educational settings. Selena uses her large platform to increase awareness for mental health and shares her own personal story to help others. She is truly an inspiration because she always remains humble and vulnerable.
- Rihanna
In addition to her recent and amazing Super Bowl performance, Rihanna has done a lot of good around the world. She is one of the many amazing women of color that have helped pave the way for WOC to become successful in the music industry. She has always remained true to herself. Rihanna has shown that success does not include changing yourself to fit society’s standards. That’s why she is one of my personal inspirations. She teaches others to remain true to yourself and success will come your way with hard work. She is not only a talented musician, but an entrepreneur as well. Her brand Fenty and Savage X Fenty stands out from other celebrity brands with her dedication to inclusive representation.
I am proud to see how far we came with representing women in history, and I will continue to celebrate all the women around me.