Girlbosses. We all know one and dream to become one in the future. Although a new semester may have us abandoning our personal goals to focus on our classes, it’s never a bad time for some motivation to keep us going. Here’s a list of seven girlbosses of color to motivate you this semester!
1. Jin Xing
If you think you’re the only one who’s switched their career idea a few times, this woman is about to one-up you. Meet Jin Xing, a 51-year-old former Chinese army colonel, current male ballet icon, actress, dance studio owner and choreographer turned talk show host. The Hollywood reporter calls this girlboss the “Oprah of China” for her charisma and bravery for being the first person to publicly undergo gender reassignment surgery in China. As if Xing didn’t already meet the qualifications to be an inspirational badass, she also spends her time speaking at world economic forums. Oh yeah — she also speaks five languages.
2. Yusra Mardini
Though Yusra is only 19 years old, the feats she’s accomplished in the midst of adversity are nothing short of superhuman. Born in Syria, Yusra Mardini knew she had to flee her country in 2015 after her house was destroyed during the Syrian Civil War. Yusra and her sister were smuggled onto a refugee boat with a failed motor because too many people were aboard. Mardini and a handful of passengers swam in the Aegean Sea and pushed the boat for more than three hours until it reached land. Yusra was given the title of UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, and she was a key swimmer on the Refugee Olympic Team that competed in the Rio Summer Olympics of 2016.
3. Cashmere Nicole
Cashmere Nicole is nothing short of a girlboss who makes things happen. Featured under the “Inspiration” section of Beyonce.com in 2014, Cashmere is a breast cancer survivor, Pacific Magazine cover girl, makeup artist, single mother and founder and CEO of cruelty free cosmetics line Beauty Bakerie. It’s clear that Nicole lives by her brand’s motto of “Be Better, not Bitter,” as her company is no stranger to giving tubes of her brand’s famous “Lip Whip” lipstick to cancer patients during breast cancer awareness month. Not only is she philanthropic, but she’s also redefining black owned brands’ impact on the beauty industry by creating products such as contour kits, eyeshadow palettes and liquid lipsticks perfectly formulated to cater to the richest of skin tones.
4. Sonia Sotomayor
If being the first Hispanic Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States doesn’t qualify Sonia Sotomayor as surpassing girlboss status, I don’t know what does. The Bronx, New York native, Sotomayor, began her involvement in politics in 1979 and was sworn in to her Supreme Court position by President Barack Obama on August 8, 2009. Sotomayor graduated from both Princeton and Yale with a rank of summa cum laude. Her accomplishment of rising in the political ranks amongst a sea of white males makes her an inspiration for women of color everywhere.
5. Hayat Sindi
This list of inspirational girlbosses wouldn’t be complete without a woman of color in STEM. Enter, Hayat Sindi, a Saudi Arabian medical scientist, founder and President of the Institute for Imagination and Ingenuity, co-founder and director of nonprofit “Diagnostics for All” and one of the first members of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia. Sindi was the first woman from the Gulf to earn a Doctoral degree in Biotechnology from Cambridge University in London. Not only is she an advocate, a scientist and a scholar, she’s also invented a machine that harnesses the power of light and ultrasound that has greatly impacted the field of biotechnology. Her non-profit “Diagnostics for All” focuses on creating and distributing diagnostic devices that require no electricity, water or medical professional to people who live in impoverished conditions.
6. Janet Mock
Our second transgender girlboss is none other than journalist, TV host, author and transgender activist, Janet Mock. The Hawaii native and New York University alumna has written two memoirs about her experience as a trans woman of color, “Redefining Realness” and “Surpassing Certainty.” Mock has also spoken about the desired rights of all trans women at the Women’s March on Washington. She continues using her voice as a contributing writer for Allure Magazine, Marie Claire, and Time Inc. Mock’s resume goes on for ages as she’s also produced an HBO documentary The Trans List and was a host for an MSNBC television show. This girlboss is the epitome of a woman who’s reclaimed her time and used her trials and tribulations to help others.
7. Miss Lawn
Our final girlboss to motivate you this semester is Asian founder and CEO of fashion line HLZBLZ, Miss Lawn. The queen of streetwear focuses her brand on making traditionally male, streetwear inspired designs for the ultimate cool girl. The @HLZBLZ Instagram account flaunts women dripping in confidence in their oversized silhouettes and black and white colored garments. Her ability to turn casual street wear into styles that are unisex makes this girlboss of color an ultimate game changer in the fashion industry.
Whether it’s completing a paper a day early, or submitting it at 11:59:59, you’re still a girlboss in our eyes. We hope this list motivates you to tap into your girlboss potential. Good luck this semester!