American-American
Women – Against All Odds
By
Stephanie E. Wilson-Coleman
Author
of Be Sure You Dance: Life’s lessons
to make every moment count,
Embracing
Life’s Lessons and Is Anybody Listening?
www.champagneconnection.com ·
www.asipofinspiration.com
Recently, Rev.
Michael Beckwith, Agape International Spiritual Center, said every problem is
afraid of our potential because as we raise our potential,
our problems dissolve and become the stepping stone to a greater expression of ultimate
Reality.
African Americans have always been treated
as racially inferior and have continuously
fought to overcome socio-economic inequality.
But as a people, we have always
known that “life ain’t no crystal stair.
It has tacks in it and splinters and boards torn up, places with no
carpet on the floor”. (Langston Hughes).
Our ancestors experienced many days when
the problems seemed larger than the universe itself, but as a spiritual people
something inside demanded that they continue to believe in, fight for, and even
give their lives for a nation, a world where freedom was allowed to ring in
every city.
Possessing a dream and guts, African
American women have made a huge impact on both the American culture and the
world.
Harriet Tubman, later known as “Moses,” born a slave in 1820 risked her life to
become an infamous conductor on The Underground Railroad. Harriet made 19 trips and freed over 300
slaves. Some historians have estimated
the count to be more than 1,000. Harriet
stated she would have freed more if they had known they were slaves.
“When we raise our potential our problems
dissolve and become a greater expression of ultimate Reality.”
Madame CJ Walker, born Sarah Breedlove,
became America’s first self-made female millionaire. Because African American women were not
allowed to shop in major department stores, Madame CJ Walker created the home
party sales model.
Mary McLeod Bethune started a private
school for African American children in Daytona Beach, Florida known today as Bethune-Cookman University.
Rosa Parks, a seamstress by trade, was very
active in the Montgomery Improvement Association. Refusing to give her seat to a white man and
move to the back of the bus became the catalyst for a life-changing boycott in Montgomery, AL. Rosa Parks would later work with the Southern
Poverty Law Center to erect the Wall of Tolerance. This 20 –by-40 foot wall contains the names
of more than a half a million people who have pledged to stand against
hate. The Champagne and Beyond Publisher,
Midge Kimberly’s name is among the names
of those who have pledged to work against injustice.
Today, African-American women have
achieved some tremendous feats.
·
African-American women have become the most
educated group in America. 9.7 percent
of African-American women are enrolled in
college as compared to 8.7 percent for Asian women and 7.1 percent for White
women and 6.1 percent for White men. (www.theroot.com
& www.brookings.edu).
·
African-American women are the fastest growing
group of female entrepreneurs in the 21st century. African-American women entrepreneurs grew 67
percent between 2007 and 2012, compared to 27 percent for all women and 13
percent for White women (www.colorlines.com,
www.fortune.com)
African-American
women continue to demonstrate that “when we raise our potential our problems
dissolve and become a greater expression of ultimate Reality.”
The stories of
these women are intrinsically woven into the fabric of our souls. Allow these women who have discovered that
the impossible simply means I AM POSSIBlE to inspire and uplift you. Know that you are powerful and creative and
can overcome any challenge.
This column is dedicated to the women who have changed my
life. Fortunately, there are too many to
name. I pray your life is filled with
great women also.
Remember, life is too short to
drink cheap champagne.
Dream Big! Live the life
you’ve imagined.
Stephanie, a Success Mindset Mentor, has the uncanny
ability to help others transform their emotional and mental obstacles into
stepping stones to living their
dreams. She has an insatiable appetite for helping others achieve
the impossible. She works with others to recognize, uncover and reconcile painful feelings, hidden secrets and
memories that are affecting their financial health and the health of their families.
She lives her inspiration as the founder of The Champagne Connection, Inc., the
author of 3 books and the Host of the television show "A Sip of
Inspiration”,
http://www.asipofinspiration.com and http://www.champagneconnection.com. She is also a regular contributor to The
MetaMonthly Magazine, Champagne and Beyond Magazine, www.champagneandbeyond1.com, and Ezine Articles.
"Do not go gentle into that good night; find a hill worth dying for and take It; be the person you're waiting for; make today so awesome, that yesterday gets jealous and above all else do it Your way."
Comments
Post a Comment