This past Thursday was International Women's Day and it was a powerful day in which I thought about the women who came before me, gave up so much, strove to fight for what they believed in, and contributed to our way of life to bring us where we are now, which are sadly not spoken of enough. Movies like Wonder Woman, Hidden Figures, Moana, and the recent Star Wars films wherein women, more and more of whom are women of color, take the lead have saturated the media. We are seeing so many strong women and we are hearing them too.
And these strong women are not strong because they bear masculine traits. Not because they are seemingly emotionless, renounce what is traditionally feminine, and punch things, but they are strong in many ways simply because women are strong.They can be emotional and vulnerable and they can also be closed off in a healing process too, they can lead well and they can make mistakes, they can shave their heads or have long flowing hair they love, they can have a love interest or not be interested in love. All because there is not one way to be a woman.
I am so proud to be a woman, I am proud to fight to enter a heavily masculine field one day (diplomacy), and I am proud to know that strong women came before me even if I do not know more than their name.
To keep the lives of women on our minds after Thursday, I wanted to share three pieces of media that celebrate women and educate about important women of whom mainstream history curricula do not speak.
1. The Ascent of Woman
The Ascent of Woman is a documentary created by Dr. Amanda Foreman for BBC2 and it is the first of its kind about the history of women from the dawn of time until modern day. These stories laced in intersectionality that includes all women are fascinating, infuriating, heartbreaking, and enlightening as archaeological discoveries and interviews are highlighted. Look up this wonderful series in time for the new season April 1st!
http://www.ascentofwoman.com/the-series/
2. #100Days100Women
#100days100women is a comic series created by @RoriComics on Twitter as a fun way to tell the stories of women of all walks of life that we do not know enough about to "reclaim history" and our understanding of women.
https://twitter.com/RoriComics
https://www.patreon.com/roricomics
3. Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves
If you are in need of an empowering bop that prompts a confident strut regardless of where you are, then the iconic collaboration of Aretha Franklin and the Eurhythmics is nothing less than perfect for those days when you need to feel like a queen.
As you watch this documentary, listen to this song, and enjoy this art, remember that being a woman is special and always cherish the important women in your lives. Jesus lifted up women, believed their stories, cared for them, and held them as beloved compatriots in His ministry because He knows how strong, beautiful, and complex God made us, may we do the same.
