Do you know who Hetty Green is? Maybe you know her as the “Witch of Wall Street." Vilified because she breached the boundaries of proper womanhood and became one of the most successful financiers of her time. Henrietta Howland Robinson was born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Her mother, Abby Slocum Howland, was one [...]
The Book of Medical Discourses was dedicated “to mothers, nurses, and all who may desire to mitigate the afflictions of the human race.” Healthcare inequality is an old problem that has plagued women, immigrants, poor, and black communities. These communities couldn’t wait for doctors; they had to care for each other. Rebecca Lee Crumpler [...]
In 1773, Phillis Wheatley became the first African American woman poet published, when her book of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was published in London. Wheatley lived a life unique from the typical slave experience while the Wheatley family lived. Born in West Africa, Phillis, age 7, was sold into slavery, arriving [...]
Ana was born curious. She was a voracious reader, which resulted in her learning how to read and write by three. Her mother died when she was four, leaving her to be raised by her father, aunt and grandmother, all of whom were educators. In 1864, eleven year old Ana became the youngest teacher’s assistant [...]
Daly was born in Queens, NY, to a family that emphasized education. Her father emigrated from the West Indies and enrolled at Cornell University to study chemistry. Her mother instilled in her a love of learning, in particular a love of science and scientists. Daly went to the all girls Hunter College High School. After [...]
Wilma Mankiller was the sixth of eleven children. She was born on Mankiller Flats in Oklahoma to a Cherokee father, and a Dutch-Irish mother. She was immediately influenced by her people's fight for their land and independence. Her foundation of activism began in the home, and her unique native approach combined with her education, made [...]
Grace Lee Boggs died at the age of 100, having dedicated over 70 years of her life to social activism. She fought for civil rights, labor, feminism, the environment, and so many other causes she valued. Born to Chinese immigrant, Ms. Boggs embarked on an odyssey in the states that made her an American Revolutionary. [...]
Recently, I had a conversation with a woman who needed a listening ear. Her husband died and she was raising her son alone. Within her grief, she was trying to keep her husband's legacy alive as a jazz saxophonist. That evening, she attended a jazz concert by the Irreversible Entanglements. She described Camae Ayewa aka [...]
Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day when over 160,000 soldiers invaded Normandy, France, the largest seaborne operation in our history and a turning point in WWII. The number of people who suffered on that day is overwhelming. So, I look for inspiration from individual stories of the people who worked silently to end [...]
“Strengthening our depth perception requires accurately seeing with both eyes. When we see with one eye, our vision is limited in range and devoid of depth. When we add to it the single vision of the other eye, our range vision becomes wider, but we still lack depth. This is only when both eyes [...]
