The Influential Women Who Inspire Us
This Women’s History Month has been a time of reflection and upliftment for the powerful female forces of today and in history. The Slick Chicks ladies mention (just a few) of these strong forces and their lasting impact on them personally:
“Kamala Harris made history as the first woman, first Black and first Indian-American vice president of the United States. As a daughter of immigrant parents, she has spent her life fighting injustice and was inspired by her mother’s strong will and passion. Being a daughter of immigrant parents myself, I understand the sacrifices my mother and father made to give me a better life. They believed in the promise of America. Harris’ story and experience not only brings important perspectives to the table, but also gives hope to so many young girls and women to see new possibilities for their own futures. Immigrant women are strong, we are resilient, and Kamala Harris represents the leader that will inspire a future of female change-makers!”
-Helya, Founder and CEO
“Iris Apfel is an inspiration in her own unique way. She has taken the saying “dress your age” and turned it upside down! Throughout her years as an interior designer and businesswoman she has become a fashion icon with her always colourful and inimitable style often including vibrant shoes, big bracelets and, of course, her characteristic, big, round glasses. She inspires women all over the world to have the confidence to find out who they are and always believe in their own style, telling young women: ‘The key to good style is learning who you are” and that she doesn’t believe in rules because she would only be breaking them! Her style, vision, entrepreneurial spirit and independence always makes me say- I want to be her when I grow up!”
-Wendy, Director of Sales
“A woman that inspires me a lot is Frida Kahlo, she was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Her artwork explores questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Frida is an inspiration for me because, as a woman and an artist, she was a force, a strong personality who fearlessly painted her emotions and feelings. She also broke a lot of barriers in defying society’s beauty standards. Most importantly, she gave us a lesson in resilience; she suffered from polio as a child, nearly died in a bus accident as a teenager and went through 30 operations in her lifetime and instead of her trauma and pain being an obstacle, she used it to drive her self exploration and art. Her hard work fulfilled her, she spent her life producing artwork, working for the Mexicayotl Movement and writing for her political causes. She was a revolutionary who fought for her beliefs and she made others fight too.”
-Mylene, Digital Marketing Manager
“An influential woman that inspires me daily is Tatyana McFadden. She is a Team USA wheelchair track and marathon athlete that has been doing the sport since she was little. She was adopted from Russia in 1993 at the age of 6, and found wheelchair racing when she came to the states. She made her Olympic debut at the age of 15 in Athens, Greece and was the youngest member of Team USA. In 2013 she became the first person, able-bodied or disabled, to win four World Major Marathons in one year. She persevered through so many trials, including being removed from the school track team because she was a disabled athlete. That event inspired her to fight for herself and others going through the same experience and because of her, school sports teams are not allowed to discriminate against athletes with disabilities. Her zeal and determination is something I strive for because I have had so many people in my life say "no" because of my disabilities or because they didn't think I could do as good of a job as an able-bodied person. She showed me that the only person I need to impress is myself and that I shouldn't let anything get in my way of achieving a goal I set for myself.”
-Abby, Manager of Social Media
Aretha Franklin, “The Queen of Soul”, is a woman who inspires me on a daily basis. Apart from her riveting voice and demanding musical presence, Ms. Franklin was known for her impactful support on a variety of philanthropic efforts. She fought for an expansive amount of social justice issues, was an avid supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, and provided resources to causes surrounding health care accessibility, inner-city arts programs, and environmental protection initiatives. Her commitment to these efforts never wavered throughout her life, they seemingly only grew stronger. As a mother of four sons, influential singer and songwriter, and an equality-driven activist, Ms. Franklin is a prime example of a woman who took on (and greatly excelled) in a variety of different roles. In these parts of her life and all others, Ms. Franklin exuded grace and confidence in everything that she set forth to do. She inspires me to embody a bit of grace, confidence, and perseverance in my actions everyday.
-Sarah, Social Outreach Intern
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