Herstory

Herstory: Giving a Voice to the Silenced

Since the beginning of human civilization, women have been put into subservient roles. They were caged; their wings were cut, yet still, these women taught themselves to fly. A peasant teenage girl who led an entire army, the discoverer of Radioactivity, a young rebel who fought for her right to education, and the last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt are all heroes because they refused to fit in the box society constrained them in. Despite the wonderful accomplishments all of these women have achieved, many had to fight to get the recognition and respect they deserve. The most resilient and essential Holocaust text is still being banned and silenced. Ada Lovelace invented the computer algorithm in 1843, but she went largely unnoticed during her lifetime. Similarly, Hedy Lamarr had to work twice as hard to be respected as an inventor and scientist because of being a beautiful and talented actress. That didn’t stop her from inventing frequency hopping and becoming the Mother of WiFi. Mary Shelley wrote one of the most prolific novels of all time at 18 years old, and invented an entire genre of literature while doing so, yet some people still undermine her accomplishments and wonder if she really wrote Frankenstein. Diana Spencer rewrote the rules of royalty by standing up for marginalized groups and her groundbreaking humanitarian work and compassion. The public still scrutinized her which negatively affected her mental health and caused her to struggle with bulimia. Audrey Hepburn is one of the most influential actresses of all time and dedicated decades to helping children in need, yet was often disregarded by the men in her industry. Rosa Parks stood up while sitting down and became a hero of the Civil Rights movement. All of these women are heroes deserving of recognition, and I am blessed to be able to draw them.