Commemorating the Impactful Role of Women of Color

Get ready for a deep-dive into the remarkable and often underappreciated contributions of women - particularly women of color - to equality and history. Join me, Teresa, as we journey through the battle for women's suffrage, contemplate the legacy of extraordinary women like Maya Angelo, Coretta Scott King, Janet Mock, and Ladonna Harris, and reflect on the continuing fight for full equality. This episode promises to leave you both inspired and enlightened.

We'll be breaking down the promises of American democracy and true equality through a close examination of an insightful article by Robert Bleweis, Shilpa Phadke and Jocelyn Frye. Beyond this, we'll discuss the often-overlooked journey women of color had to undertake to secure their right to vote, decades after their white counterparts. This episode is a tribute to the struggles, victories, and indomitable spirit of women who've not only transformed history, but continue to shape our world. So, sit back and prepare for a powerful exploration of women's impactful role in our society.

Chapters

• 0:09 Women's Contributions to Equality and History
• 14:23 Amazon's Top Items in a Pinch

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

Welcome to season two of the Infusion podcast. My name is Teresa and I am your host. I'm excited to be back for another season. The goal of this podcast is to help women and young girls fill up their cups. Oftentimes, we are so focused on helping and supporting others that we forget to take care of ourselves too. My mission is to spread love and joy through movement, education and motivation. Today, we are celebrating women's contributions to the world and talking about women's equality, specifically women of color. Women have made many amazing contributions to the world, but not without resistance.

Speaker 1: 0:45

National Women's Equality Day is celebrated annually on August 26. This date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. The observation of Women's Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but it also calls to attention women's continued efforts towards full equality. However, the 1920 Amendment only granted some women the right to vote in the United States. The amendment states that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or bridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. White women's suffragists gained their right to vote, but black Americans were still kept from the polls. However, black Americans were not the only ones excluded from the right to vote. Other groups, including Asian Americans, could not vote because the laws made them ineligible for naturalization due to their race. It took another 23 years, almost two and a half decades, before they were granted the right to vote. Native Americans, on the other hand, were not granted the right to citizenship until 1925, and then they were not guaranteed the right to vote until the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act was passed.

Speaker 1: 2:03

So how far have women come since that 1920 certification, particularly women of color? I'm going to share some information from an August 2020 article that was written by Robert Blaywis Shilpa Padiky I hope I'm saying these names correctly and Jocelyn Frye. Now, according to their article, that's in cap, women's progress is still intertwined with the suffrage movement. Access to the vote is a powerful tool to drive change and transform communities, but, despite the exclusion from the promise of the 19th amendment, women of color have emerged as a growing, electrical electoral powerhouse. It is precisely because of this growing power that the rights of women of color are increasingly under attack now, today, just as they've always been back in the day right, those in power are seeking to preserve a status quo and maintain their privilege at the expense of justice for all. The legacy of the 19th amendment makes clear the urgent importance of an inclusive vision of equality that encompasses the diversity of women's experiences, and the vision must be a priority in the years to come.

Speaker 1: 3:14

This commemoration of women's suffrage must not solely be a celebration. It must be a call to action. While legislation has since enfranchised more women of color and today women of color collectively have come to represent a potential powerhouse electorate, systemic discrimination still bars some women of color from the polls. The promise of suffrage, and with it the promise of American democracy and the promise of true equality, has yet to be fully realized. Shilpa Padiky and Jocelyn Fry. Robin is an associate with the Women's Initiative at the Center for American Progress, shilpa is the vice president of the Women's Initiative at the Center and Jocelyn Fry is a senior fellow with the Women's Initiative at the Center. So we still have a long, long way to go Now.

Speaker 1: 4:14

Despite the continuous roadblocks for women of color, they have made some significant contributions to the world, and I would like to highlight those contributions. Being a woman of color, being a woman of color that I'm proud to share. These are being taken from a March 2023 article written by Kim Lee Kim Lee son, sorry and in this article she shares the contributions of many women of color, starting with black women who transformed history Maya Angelo. If you don't know, you better look her up. Maya is an award-winning poet God rest her soul and civil rights activists. She's best known for her book I Know why the Cage Bird Sings. She's a black influential woman in literature who wrote about the impact of racism and sexual assault on black bodies and women. As a leader in the black community and the black feminist movement, she also worked with activists like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr during the civil rights movement. Going to the civil rights movement, talking about Martin Luther King Jr, coretta Scott King, she was a notable leader in several pivotal moments in the 1960s. Though many of her husband's colleagues were resistant to her increased involvement in the civil rights movement, she proved her determination as an activist. She made great contributions to the women's rights movement by advancing the voices of black women and in 1968, she founded the King Center, which educates future leaders and inspires social change. So although back then there was a lot of men that were doing things during the civil rights, coretta said she was gonna stand up and be involved, regardless of those who were resisting against her.

Speaker 1: 6:02

Lastly, janet Mock. She was a director, a producer, an author, an activist. She challenged others to rethink the definition of femininity In her 19,. In her New York Times bestseller, redefining Realness, mock discusses what it means to be a multirational transgender person in the US and how that fits with the American conception of womanhood. Her courageous prose continues to help shape a new wave of the feminist movement, pushing for those still on the margins.

Speaker 1: 6:34

Great, great women of color making history in the world. Up next we have our Native American women who transform history, and we're gonna start with Ladonna Harris. Ladonna Harris is a member of the Camanchi tribe and a Native American activist. She founded Americans for Indian Opportunity in 1970. President Lyndon B Johnson also appointed her to serve on the National Council of Indian Opportunity. In 1980, she was a vice presidential candidate for the Citizens Party, running alongside environmentalist Barry Comner. Most recently, harris was an honorary co-chair for the 2017 Women's March on Washington, and she continues to fight to give voice to those without agency in all of her endeavors. Joy Harjo appointed in 2019 as the first Native American poet Luarte of the United States. She's a writer activist. Joy works to reveal truths about the human condition. In her most recent book, poetic Warrior, a Memoir, she illustrates the struggle of Native American women, detailing stories from her life as a member of the Muskegee Creek Nation. She calls on all of us to make a difference in the world.

Speaker 1: 7:53

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Speaker 1: 8:26

Lastly, we have Maria Tallchief Fighting for the visibility in an almost all-white profession. Maria was a first famous Native American ballerina. After being turned away from one professional ballet company after another, she found her home at the New York City Ballet. There she was accepted for her unique talent. She then became the muse for famous choreography. George Choreographer I'm sorry, george Balacini Balacini, I'm not sure if I'm saying this name correctly. Maria opened doors for future Native American dancers by showing them that they deserve to take center stage. Remember take your place in the world, no matter what your background, no matter what your ethnicity. If you are called to do something, go out and do it and don't let anyone tell you differently.

Speaker 1: 9:17

Next up we have Asian American women who transformed history. First up is Grace Lee Boggs. She was a prominent, prominent social activist, feminist and writer. She was active during the civil rights movement with her husband, james Boggs. She was born to Chinese immigrants and she constantly strived to improve the lives of all historically excluded communities in the United States. Boggs became involved in many grassroots movements and advocated for tenant and worker rights throughout her life. She also worked closely with Malcolm X and other notable black leaders in the movement to improve the lives of minority women.

Speaker 1: 9:58

Yuri Kocha Yama and I'm sure I'm not saying that correctly, so I apologize Yuri is most famous for her activism during the civil rights movement and her work with leaders like Malcolm X. Forced into a Japanese internment camp as a child, she later fought for reparations for Japanese Americans. In her adulthood, kocha Yama was also involved in many other causes, including desegregating schools. Throughout her career, she fought for the rights of Asian, black, latino, latina and Native American people. Lastly, patsy Take motto mink in 1964, mink became the first Japanese American and the first woman of color Appointed to the US House of Representatives. She joined Congress when women were expected to stay at home and be homemakers. Because of the discrimination she faced in her professional life, she was one of the principal sponsors and authors of title 1x legislation that prohibited gender discrimination in education. Wow, amazing, amazing contributions.

Speaker 1: 11:09

Dolores Herta Latinas who transformed history. Dolores is one of the most Implementation laborers, actor, labor activists of the 20th century. The famed civil rights leader co-founded the National Farm Workers Association With Caesar Chavez. She originated the rally cry See, say puede. She has consistently advocated for women, children and the working class to receive basic human rights during her lifetime, where they're served as an honorary co-chair for the women's March on Washington in 2017.

Speaker 1: 11:43

Rita Moreno Although most people know Rita for being the first Latina to win an Oscar, many are unaware of her role as a social activist. Also, she was inspired by Martin Luther King juniors. I have a dream speech during the March on Washington, which she attended in person. She has continued to speak throughout her life, using her stardom to advocate for women's rights. In 2013, her book Rita Moreno, a memoir she delves into breaking through racial and sexual barriers during her career Sonia Sotomayor.

Speaker 1: 12:19

In 2009, sonia became the first Latina to be appointed to the justice, to the United States Supreme Court. At that time, she was only the third woman. In 2009, she was only the third woman to ever hold that office. Earlier in her career, sotomayor advocated for more women and minority faculty at the universities she attended. She also fought for affordable housing for low income individuals. As her career progressed, she brought attention to the need for a greater Latino presence in the judicial system. Her autobiography, my Beloved World, chronicles how, coming from humble beginnings, fueled her desire to fight for the rights of others.

Speaker 1: 13:04

So what do we get out of all of this? Historically, the part women of color have played in shaping the United States has been broadly dismissed and unacknowledged. I'm going to read that again. Historically, the part women of color have played in shaping the United States has been broadly dismissed and under acknowledged. However, this country was founded on their backs. These women broke through racial and gender barriers while fighting for basic human rights. Historically, women of color, like the ones listed above, focused not only on dismantling the systems that kept them down, but also on the plight of all minorities and oppressed people in America. Without the contributions of these trailblazers, the United States would look very different than it does today. Women play a significant role in this world, especially women of color, though history books may tell a different story, women of color were the ones impacted the most by unjust laws. But despite all that we have gone through, we have persevered and we have been encouraged, thanks to the countless women of color who came before us and those who are still standing up for us today.

Speaker 1: 14:23

Tune in next week for a bonus episode. I'm going to be sharing my top two items that I go to on Amazon when I need something in a pinch. You have been listening to the Infusion Podcast. I hope something was said today that will help you along your life journey. Until next time, continue to do you, be you, infuse you and be blessed.