Making History
March marks the month that celebrates women’s history. We take time to look at the women who have had an impact on shaping our history as a society.
I asked around at various locations — at work, with friends, random strangers at the library — to see what names first came to mind when they thought about women in history. And these are the names that I was told: Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Mother Theresa, Harriet Tubman, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, Malala Yousafzai, Artemisia Gentileschi, Tarana Burke, Ntozake Shange, Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Nella Laren, Charlottle Perkins-Gilman, Naomi Wolf, Betty Friedan, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Shirley Chisholm and Lizz Winstead.
The women named were playwrights, took a stand on voting rights, started entire movements, and were the first in many of their fields. You should google some of these names if you’re like me and didn’t recognize every single name. These women have all made their mark in history and they are people you should know.
I think, though, if you were to ask me who stands out the most in women’s history, you know what names pops to mind immediately?
Emma González.
This name may not ring any bells right away. She’s new to history. As in, she’s making history right this minute. Who is she? She’s an advocate and activist for gun control. She also happens to be a survivor of a mass school shooting and she wants change. And Emma González is demanding just that.
González first went viral after her passionate 11-minute speech in front of the Broward County Courthouse at a gun control rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and she just happens to be one of the leading voices now making the case for stricter gun laws. She and other survivors spoke with Florida state legislators just five days after the school shooting and had to stand by and witness the legislature vote down the debate on an existing gun control bill.
After her speech went viral, she appeared on Ellen DeGeneres, has amassed more followers than the NRA on Twitter, and wrote an essay calling out President Trump for wanting to arm teachers with firearms. She is quoted as saying, “Teachers do not need to be armed with guns to protect their classes. They need to be armed with a solid education in order to teach their classes.”
Emma González is just 18. She is who we need to make the changes that we so desperately need to see right now. And I’m not just talking about gun control, which obviously I’m for making changes in. I’m talking about feeling passionate enough to make said changes. Emma González is the role model I want for my children, what I want for the future generations watching social media and feeling helpless by today’s events. “Hey, do you see her standing up there? Do you see her making a difference in the world? Do you see that passion? Guess what? She’s 18!” I find her passion a beautiful example of what we need in this time and in this place that we are at in society. Do you want to see change? Well, go do something about it and make it happen. Emma González is just 18, and she’s making history. This, to me, is a woman in history worth celebrating. "
Emma González is just 18. Emma González is just 18, and she’s making history. This, to me, is a woman in history worth celebrating.
