When we take a look at all the incredible women running the world right now, we just know that the future will most certainly be female. Every industry is filled with incredible, resilient and remarkable women who have been paving the way for generations to come and will continue to do so with the outstanding work they do.
Celebrating Black History Month, we wanna take a moment to talk about great and inspiring black women we all love and admire, but also acknowledge the impact of those in history whose stories can’t be forgotten. Like Rosa Parks, an African American activist – the mother of the freedom movement, Madam C.J. Walker, an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist and political activist and Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, an American investigative journalist, educator and one of the early leaders in the civil rights movement. These three ladies triumphed with so many other incredible women in history.
When we look at the industry and society today, we see female forces like Leigh-Anne Pinnock (Gray), Jennifer Hudson, Amanda Gorman and Kerry Washington impacting the world and leaving their footprints throughout their careers. We wanna highlight each one of them individually, because they deserve to be recognized.
Leigh-Anne is not only known for being an artist, but for her activism and investing in equality. Alongside her husband Andre and her sister Sairah, she created “The Black Fund”, whose social media posts highlight different charities, projects and people that inspire in their own way. In addition to that, they provide funding for scholarships and so many more incredible things for people who may not get the chance. It gives them a shot at something that inspires them and to kickstart a career. Besides her great charity work, Leigh Anne came out with a documentary “Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop and Power” and is releasing her memoir Believe this month, sharing her story in her own words.
Jennifer Hudson is an absolute powerhouse and while her voice is exceptional, so is her mark. The Jennifer Hudson Show has a partnership with Mastercard, highlighting and supporting black women and their businesses through their Strivers Initiative. J-Hud has been shining a light on businesses owned by black women and their founders and created a pop-up Strivers Experience for her show’s live studio audience to enjoy and learn.
Amanda Gorman is the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University. Her inspiring work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism and race, marginalization as well as the African diaspora. While she has released well-received books in the past, she just came out with a new children’s book titles Something, Someday you can order right now.
Kerry Washington is an African-American actress, mostly known for her role as Olivia Pope in the hit-series Scandal and is loved by so many. Besides being an amazingly talented actress, Kerry just made her author’s debut, publishing her memoir Thicker Than Water. The book talks about her childhood and upbringing and reveals a family secret that was kept from her most of her life. If you haven’t gotten a copy yet, we recommend you do so. Kerry has set a great example for not only black women, but all women who have been impacted by her work, advocacy and overall story.
We have been blessed with so many inspiring women who will continue to bring awareness to what matters most and be the voices for those who haven’t been heard. If you want to support and honor black history – not just this month but all year – here is what you can do:
Support black-owned businesses, learn and educate yourself on black figures and their contributions, donate to charities that support anti-racism, equality and equity, purchase books from black authors and support and educate yourself on black women and their stories. It’s how we can continue to create change.
Every person no matter their race, background or religion deserves for their story to be heard, to be treated equally with respect and dignity, to be supported and loved and to feel valid. I have always promised myself that I would use my voice and my platform to do my part and you can too.
ROARA Magazine 