Throughout
history, minorities have had a myriad of obstacles to overcome. To many, these
people are viewed as inferior, and therefore given less opportunities than the
majority of people in society. African American women in particular have had to
endure quite a bit when it comes to trying to live a normal life in this
country. Although they have had to go through these difficult experiences,
there’s always someone who is brave enough to rise up and speak out about the
injustice that is being practiced. Women such as Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks,
Oprah Winfrey, as well as other women, have been a great inspiration to me.
Examining the lives and stories of African American women in the past and
present will demonstrate the amazing characteristics these women possessed that
helped them to leave their mark on me, and hopefully on many generations to
come.
When in school, we all learn about
the amazing work of Harriet Tubman. She was the woman who gathered up the
courage to help hundreds of enslaved African Americans get to freedom, a
commendable feat. Because of her honorable acts, she was given the name “Moses”
by the fugitives she freed and “General Tubman” by a fellow abolitionist (
King, 2004). Harriet was not always the amazing woman we all know her to have
been. Born in 1822, Harriet was a slave herself, along with the rest of her
family. She fled from her home at a young age and later began coming back to
the south frequently in order to assist others in their journey to freedom (King,
2004). She took them across many miles and many states in order to lead them to
freedom, thus giving her the title of “Underground Railroad conductor” (King,
2012.) She also had many other titles, such as union spy, and nurse during the
civil war. Her other occupations furthermore demonstrate her general desire to
help others. Harriet maintained this passion all throughout her life. When she
was older she was able to open a home for elderly African Americans in need.
She opened it up in 1908 and she named it the “Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and
Infirm Negroes” ( King, 2004). Harriet Tubman’s bravery and unwavering care for
others is an inspiration to me and gives me an example to live by as I continue
to move toward the future.
Harriet Tubman set an amazing example,
which gave rise to other African American women fighting against injustice, as
well as helping others achieve freedom. Rosa Parks, for instance, was one of
those African American women who followed closely in Harriet’s footsteps. She
experienced inequality and decided to fight for her rights, as well as for the
rights of others. She became the “mother of the civil rights movement” (Oluonye, 2004) through her bravery in acknowledging the injustice
that was taking place in society. She courageously sat in a seat up in the front
of the bus, which was considered to be for white people only, and refused to
get up, no matter what she was threatened with. She saw her chance, and took
full advantage of it. Even after being arrested, she still stood firm to her
beliefs and her decisions. And when nobody would listen to what she had to say,
she gathered up others in order to protest what was happening in the city and
in the United States as a whole. She started a bus boycott which allowed people
with power to see that she was serious and truly outraged by the events that
took place with her, and the same events that happen to others on a daily
basis. Rosa’s perseverance and courage helped her to change the entire United
States and the way it operated from that point forward, a very admirable
accomplishment.
After the civil rights
movement, African American men and women were by law required to be given the
same opportunities as everyone else, and were finally viewed the same as other
people in the eyes of the law. No more
were they forced to drink from different water fountains or sit in the back of the
bus. “Separate but equal” soon was just simply “equal.” Civil rights movement
participants, such as Rosa Parks, were the face people of that generation
associated with change. In today’s society, we still view her and others like
her as important individuals and heroes, but as we move farther away from that
period in time, we now have new generations and new faces to represent change
for our time. One African American woman we all know, and who is truly an
inspiration to me as well as others, is none other than Oprah Winfrey. She is
now a billionaire who was able to become what she is today by herself. She grew
up with next to nothing, with a dysfunctional family, but through her strong
determination she was able to create and host her own talk show that eventually
became the most well-known talk show for over 20 years. Oprah was also able to
eventually pursue other endeavors, such as a magazine and more recently a
television network. Oprah is setting an example for our generation of young
African American women. She’s showing that no matter you circumstances, you can
do whatever you want to do if you truly set your mind to it. This generation
more than any other needs that message of faith and positivity. We have so many
young African American girls with so many opportunities and potential to do
great things, so we must help them in any way possible so that they can achieve
their goals.
Not all influential
African American women are famous. They don’t have to start a movement or be a
billionaire to be an influence on people. My mother, for example, has been a
major influence on my life and has taught me many things, but she isn’t in
history books or on television. She is a single mother from Lexington, KY who
became a mother at a young age. Through all that she was still able to do
everything she set out to do while also providing for us by herself. My mom’s story, as well as the determination
she showed, are both an inspiration to me, although she may be unknown to the
rest of the world. Other regular African American women have been commended for
their hard work as well. In 1999, The Network Journal, an African American
publication popular with African American entrepreneurs, held its first “25 Influential Black Women
in Business” awards ceremony (Officer, 1999.) The women who were nominated and
who attended were part of the business world, which included CEOs, directors,
Presidents, and owners of companies. These women weren’t in the news every day,
or on television, nor were they in books. These were just regular women who
never gave up and were able to push themselves in order to make it into the
business world, and eventually became some of the best women in their field.
One person who received the award, Grace Johnson-Claxton, who owns both the Farragut
Manor and the Johnson Home Care Services in Brooklyn said "I enjoy what I
do. I am honored and humble to be considered one of the 25 women."
(Officer, 1999). These women aren’t well known but they thoroughly enjoy what
they do and deserve more credit than what they get for the amazing things they
have accomplished.
African American women, through their bravery, courage,
and perseverance have shaped America into what it is today. They have inspired
generations of activists, artists, writers, entrepreneurs, poets, and
television personalities. They are the example we need to follow if we want to
enact more change in America. Just like them, whether it be in our everyday
lives or for special events, we must always stand up for what we believe in and
do what we think is right, even if others don’t think so. They have made me who
I am today, and inspire me every day to be a better person in all aspects of my
life. All of these aspects are the reason why African American women will
always be the most influential people in the world to me, and why I choose to
follow in their footsteps in order to create a better future for myself as well
as for many more generations to come.
Works Cited
Johnson,
S. (2012). Charlene Faison works with science at her job, church and at home. New
York Amsterdam News, 103(13). Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=0f2504ef-5c39-4fb1-82a6-d0038ec4d888@sessionmgr4003&hid=4113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl
Officer, D. (1999). Network Journal celebrates Black women. New York
Amsterdam News, 90(14). Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=0f2504ef-5c39-4fb1-82a6-d0038ec4d888@sessionmgr4003&hid=4113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl
Oluonye, M. (2004). If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks. School
Library Journal, 50(10), 66-66. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=55594774-15d3-49e5-abe3-c229debf5560@sessionmgr4004&hid=4103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl
Oprah Winfrey. (2001). Biography, 5(12), 52-52. Retrieved
from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=d8d21cdb-3b5b-48dc-9f04-b52d5c732080@sessionmgr4003&hid=4103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl
Singer, A. (2012). We May Never Know the Real Harriet Tubman. Afro-Americans
in New York Life and History, 36(1), 36-65. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=4c2b40e4-63ec-4133-b34d-da6fb9264d4f@sessionmgr4001&hid=4103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl
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