(all picture sources identified in the daily posts)
I'm one third through celebrating Women's History Month by honoring the women who have inspired me. The first eleven have been:
My Aunt Anna, the greatest influence in my life.
Jacinda Ardern, who at 37 was the youngest female world leader of her time. She led New Zealand into social reforms and took courageous steps in aggressively locking down the country during the pandemic. 5 months later, they reopened for business. The deaths per 100k citizens was 0.1%, the USA was 1.1%.
Leah Chase, the Queen of Creole Cooking. Her restaurant enabled blacks to enjoy fine dining in the segregated south. Her back rooms were a central meeting place for the civil rights movement.
Janet Yellen, first woman to be Secretary of the Treasury and Chair of the Federal Reserve, and the only person to also lead the White House Council of Economic Advisors.
Sister Carol, my 10th grade English teacher who somehow understood me, and with tough love, opened my world to writing and poetry.
Linda Ronstadt, an interpretive singer who could range from contralto to soprano. She had commercial success at rock, pop, new wave, American standards, operetta, country, ranchera, R&B, afro-Cuban and folk songs.
Hedy Lamarr, actress and inventor. The former made her famous. The latter got her a patent that is the basis for Bluetooth technology.
Mom. I could write volumes.
Katharine Graham, who inherited the Washington Post when her husband died and turned it into a leading newspaper. She also defied politicians and printed The Pentagon Papers that revealed just how much Americans had been lied to about the Vietnam War, then followed that with stories that took down a crooked President.
Laura Ingalls Wilder, who published the first of 9 Little House on the Prairie books at age 65, creating classics that have been translated into forty languages.
Hypatia, a brilliant mind and consultant to emporers and rulers. She was tolerant of all faiths and peoples, which got her killed by Christians threatened by that power.
Ready for the next third?