African-American Women Changing the World
By Stephanie E. Wilson-Coleman, Ph.D.
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
New narratives about African-American history have emerged over the last year. Some of those narratives included “firsts” for African-American women and women of color while others continue to serve as a reminder of the accomplishments that made our country great. These “firsts” have rattled the belief that our excellence is limited to sports and entertainment.
The message sent, loud and clear, was “ain’t no stopping us now,” we are changing the world.
The strides made by African-American women in the 2018 November mid-term elections were astonishing. According to the crowdsourced Black Women in Politics database, at least 468 black women ran for political office in 2018. Higher Heights for America, states that 40 black women were on congressional ballots in the midterm elections with seventeen black women candidates for statewide office. In 2019, four African-American women, Pressley, Hayes, McBath, and Underwood, were sworn into the U.S House of Representatives. The newly elected brings the total number of African-American women in the U.S. House of Representatives to 18.
African-American also made first when elected to the position of New York attorney general (James) and lieutenant governor of Illinois (Stratton). We can still hear the roar made when a group of 19 black women dubbed the “Houston 19” all won election to judgeships in Harris County, Texas. And let’s not forget the first black district attorney in Massachusetts (Rollins).
Politics are not the only places we are excelling.
“Ain’t no stopping us now,” we are changing the world.”
The number of African-American women starting businesses is up 58% between 2007 – 2018 with revenues increasing by 47%.
We have “firsts” in the world of Olympics with Erin Jackson be the first African-American women to be on the U.S. Long-Track Team.
African-American women have great inventions in the digital landscape also. Some of the inventions have become so integrated into our daily lives that we never think of the creator. To list a few: Jackson – caller ID and call waiting; van Brian Brown – first home security systems; Croak – Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP); Gelobter – animated GIF.
“Ain’t no stopping us now,” we are changing the world.”
Every accomplishment begins with a dream, a desire to change the world,
to make life easier for us and future generations. We can all change the world, one act, on
kindness, one idea at a time. We are all connected. We are all creators. Every word, every action forges together to create
a force to be reckoned with.
Often when we think about our
contributions, we compare ourselves to those who appear to be larger than life,
the Oprah’s, the Obama’s of the world.
However, research by Adioma/FundersandFounder.com’s research has demonstrated that every act of kindness reaches
approximately 198,000,000 people. So get
busy using your talents, your gifts in your home, at work, and among friends. You may not personally witness the ripple
effect, but the world will.
So I urge you as Coalhouse Walker, Jr did in “Ragtime” your sword could
be a sermon or the power of the pen. Teach every child and person in your
reach. Make them hear you. Then justice will be demanded by tens of
million righteous women, and freedom will
ring.
Look out corporate America
here we come. Look out world - “ain’t no
stopping us now.”
Dream Big! Live the life
you have imagined.
Remember, life is too short to
drink cheap champagne.
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 assisting others to achieve the impossible. Stephanie 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.champagneandbeyond.com, and Ezine Articles.
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