“ The man or the woman in whom resides greater virtue is the higher; neither the loftiness nor the lowliness of a person lies in the body according to the sex, but in the perfection of conduct and virtues. ”
ContextSor Juana, a self-taught nun and scholar in colonial New Spain, defending everyday domestic knowledge as a form of philosophy.Read More: Latinx Voices
EntertainmentWomenBlackShe / Her · Pronounced: zen-DAY-uh
She / Her · Pronounced: zen-DAY-uh
Source: Widely reported interview material · original link to be verified
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
ContextZendaya on why she treats her public platform as more than promotion.
Their StoryAmerican actor who became the youngest woman ever, and the second Black woman, to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role in 'Euphoria', a win she repeated in 2022.Her Emmy acceptance speeches are direct primary sources.See Their Full Story
“ As a deaf person living in a world of sound, it's as if I was living in a foreign country, blindly following its rules, customs, behaviors, and norms without ever questioning them. ”
Their StoryDeaf sound artist whose work explores sound as a social and political construct rather than something she lacks access to. She performed an American Sign Language interpretation of the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV in 2020.Her TED talk 'The Enchanting Music of Sign Language' is a good primary-source starting point.See Their Full Story
ContextWatson's closing call to action in the same speech.
Their StoryBritish actor who grew up on screen as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films before studying English literature at Brown University. In 2014 she was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and launched the HeForShe campaign for gender equality.Her 2014 UN HeForShe speech is a direct primary source.See Their Full Story
“ If we truly envision an equal world, it takes equal effort and sacrifice. Today is one of the most indelible days of my life because of Mark Wahlberg, WME and a community of women and men who share in this accomplishment. ”
ScienceWomenShe / Her · Pronounced: HAY-dee luh-MAR
She / Her · Pronounced: HAY-dee luh-MAR
Source: Widely attributed to Lamarr · original link to be verified
Widely credited to this person; primary source not yet confirmed.
ContextLamarr, an actress who co-invented an early frequency-hopping technology used in wireless communication, on being seen only for her looks.Read More: Women in Science
“ We are beginning to understand that the world is always being made fresh and never finished; that activism can be the journey rather than the arrival. ”
ContextWritten while Lorde was living with cancer. She meant survival as resistance, not self-care as a treat.Read More: Black Literature
Their StoryPoet, essayist and librarian who described herself as 'black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.' Born in New York in 1934 to Caribbean immigrant parents, she used poetry and essays to name what others left unsaid about race, sexuality, class and illness.Her essays 'The Master's Tools' and 'Uses of the Erotic' reward the full text.See Their Full Story
