4 Historical Womxn Who Have Made HERstory
By Jovoney Morton
Every week this month, Ipade has acknowledged the lives and contributions of 4 inspirational women and femmes who have made a historical impact. Sylvia Rivera, Grace Lee Boggs, Josefa Llanes Escoda, and Maya Angelou have paved the way for Black and Brown communities and continue to inspire the new generation of women leaders. Here’s a little more about each womxn’s contribution and impact.
Sylvia Rivera was a gay and transgender rights activist in the 60’s and 70’s. This notable Latina-American drag queen was raised by her grandmother but soon turned to child prostitution after running away from home. She was supported by the drag queen community and New York and thus, Sylvia was born. Her life story and identity was way more complex than the mainstream gay liberation movement, therefore, Rivera fought for not only gay and trans rights but also racial, economic and criminal justice issues. She co-founded the Gay Liberation Front, participated in the Stonewall Riots, and established the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Marsha P. Johnson. After her death in 2002, a legal aid organization called The Sylvia Rivera Law Project was created to honor her activism in the gay trans community.
Grace Lee Boggs was an avid advocate for civil rights, labor rights, feminism, Asian Americans, and the environment. She was so supportive and ingrained in the Black Power and civil rights movement that the FBI assumed she was Afro-Chinese. In reality, Grace was a woman who faced discrimination for her race and gender and resonated with the communities she lived in. Her activism started in Chicago, protesting with fellow neighbors about rat-infested buildings and followed her to Detroit where she edited Correspondence and married James Bogg. Together, the couple became two of Detroit’s most notable activists and wrote works such as Revolution And Evolution In The Twentieth Century, Living For Change; and The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism For The Twenty-First Century. Her literary work and activism still resonates throughout Detroit and the curriculum of schools today.
Josefa Llanes Escoda was a Filipina activist who dedicated her life’s work to advancing social justice. As women gained suffrage in the Philippines, Josefa pushed for their involvement within government. Her background involved social work and teaching, so she went to the United States to train with the Boy Scouts. When she came back home, she founded the first Girl Scouts in the Philippines. At the same time, World World II was happening and she provided medical aid to hostages in multiple camps. This eventually led to her imprisonment and execution, but the people of the Philippines continue to honor her legacy, putting her on their currency.
Maya Angelou is known for her civil rights activism and expressing the trials and tribulations of African Americans through her award-winning literary works. Growing up in Arkansas, Maya experienced racial prejudice and discrimination at an early age. She was sexually assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend and became a virtual mute for 5 years. Eventually she went on to become a dancer, actor, and singer with Tony and Emmy award nominations for her work in Look Away and Roots. This truly Phenomenal Woman went on to befriend Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr., and helped establish many civil organizations such as the Organization of Afro-American Unity. Her words have touched the hearts and souls of millions and still continue to do so.
Women’s History Month is not exclusive to March. Women have been and will continue to make history every day of the year.