Kickass Women in History

Kickass Women in History: Dolores Huerta

This month in Kickass Women, we raise a glass to Dolores Huerta, the labor and civil rights leader who became nationally known for her work with the United Farm Workers in the 1960s and who continues to kick ass today. It was Dolores who coined the slogan “Si se puede,” (loosely translated as “Yes we can” or “Yes you can”) a phrase often misattributed to Cesar Chavez and later adopted by Barack Obama during his … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Dolores Huerta

Kickass Women in History: Tomoe Gozen

Welcome to Kickass Women in History! This month I’m sifting through a lot of internet info trying to sort out myth from fact with regard to Tomoe Gozen, Samurai. This woman fought in the Genpei War and won fame for her feats at the Battle of Awazu in 1184 in Japan. Tomoe was born sometime around 1157 and married Minamoto no Yoshinaka. He was a general and a samurai, and he appointed Tomoe Gozen as … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Tomoe Gozen

Kickass Women in History: Yaa Asantewaa

In this month’s Kickass Women in History, we take a trip to the Ashanti Empire, where reigned Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Mother during the War of the Golden Stool. Born around 1840, she was instrumental in the fight against British Colonialism. The Asante Confederacy (also referred to as the Ashanti Empire) was located in what is now Ghana. It lasted from approximately 1670 to 1902 (when it officially became a British protectorate). Today it is recognized … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Yaa Asantewaa

Kickass Women in History: Madame Tussaud

One of the best books I read in 2018 was Little, Edward Carey’s fictional book based on the early life of Anna Maria Grosholtz, who was later known as Madame Tussaud. This book details the life of Tussaud as a child through the French Revolution. I had no idea who Tussaud was other than the fact that her name is on wax museum signs. I was thrilled to find out what a kickass woman she … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Madame Tussaud

Kickass Women in History: Hilda Matheson

This month’s Kickass Women is brought to you by Hilda Matheson, a woman who essentially invented talk radio. Hilda was a charismatic British woman who is best known for her work with the then-brand new British Broadcasting Company (BBC). As the Director of Talks, she developed the BBC’s first news section and increased radio’s style and prestige. Matheson was born in 1888. Like many women, Matheson’s employment prospects rose with the start of WWI. She … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Hilda Matheson

Kickass Women in History: Pamela Colman Smith

Pamela Colman Smith was an amazing artist, and her illustrations of the Rider-Waite tarot deck are not only iconic but also transformed the ways people thought about the cards. She may or may not have been multiracial, and may or may not have been a lesbian. She was an ardent suffragette. She never had children. She started her own press. And few of her contemppraries knew what to make of her. Smith was born in … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Pamela Colman Smith

Kickass Women in History: Ada Blackjack

This month’s Kickass Woman in History is Ada Blackjack, an Inupiat woman who survived two years on Wrangel Island, much of it completely on her own with the notable exception of a cat. Her story exemplifies the brutal choices that impoverished mothers have had to make throughout history in order to care for their children. It’s also a story about resilience and resourcefulness on the part of a woman who would have greatly preferred to … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Ada Blackjack

Kickass Women in History: Elizabeth Bisland

NB: This edition of Kickass Women in History is paired with a review of Eighty Days, a nonfiction account of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s competing journeys around the world. While many people have heard of Nellie Bly, Bisland’s story is somewhat less known.  In 1889, newspaper reporter Nellie Bly set off to travel around the world in eighty days. Her paper, The World, kept interest high while she was gone, and when she came back, … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Elizabeth Bisland

Kickass Women in History: Stephanie Wilson

This month’s Kickass Women in History takes us to outer space with Stephanie Wilson. NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson is the second African American woman to go to space (Mae Jemison, another kickass woman, was the first). She has also, as of this writing, logged more days in space than any other African American, and she served on a mission with three other women, which set a record for the number of women in space at … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Stephanie Wilson

Kickass Women: Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai (born Wangari Muta) was a kickass woman from Kenya who founded the Green Belt Movement. Her work brought together women’s rights, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship and became a global movement. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Maathai was born in 1940, in Kenya, which at that time was still a colony of Britain. She was educated in Kenya and in the United States. She was the first woman from East … Continue reading Kickass Women: Wangari Maathai

Kickass Women in History: Mary Taylor

Mary Taylor was one of Charlotte Bronte’s best friends. She was a businesswoman, and author, and an ardent and vocal feminist. She had good business sense mixed with an adventurous spirit, which let her to study in several European countries, sell cattle and run a store in New Zealand, and climb Mont Blanc in Switzerland. Over time, her fame has been eclipsed by Charlotte’s, but Mary was so much more than just “Charlotte’s friend.” Mary … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Mary Taylor

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