June 5, 2008
Who do we learn about in comparison to who we should be learning?
Posted by ellamwm under Food For Thought1 Comment
For my final project i looked at the Atlantic Monthly’s list of the Top 10 “most influencing” people. On that list there are only men and dominatly white men. They all have different reasons for being on that list and it makes sense, but where are the women? I researched women and found that there are alot of people missing from that list. For example, Jo Ann Robinson. She was a major part in the Civil Rights Movement. She was behind the scences, and did the planning of the Bus boycott. Even though MLK lead the movement and made wonderful speeches he didnt make the movement, “the movement made him.” If so many woman were apart of the biggest events/movements that changed the lives of people, why are women still degraded? Why can’t people of sexes and race be equal? Why don’t we learn about these people who worked behind the scences?
June 8th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
It is difficult to overcome societal and familial programming. That is why I don’t read the top this or that. I make my own list, just as you have begun in your recognition of the women behind the Civil Rights movement.
Remember, John and John Quincy Adams had Abigail…smart, funny, independent, and well educated. Also, James Madison had Dolly, who saved George Washington’s portrait and other important historical items, escaping just hours before the British burned the White House, in the War of 1812. My list goes on and on.
Sometimes, my list has undergone revision. For instance, Harriet Beecher Stowe , the author of Uncle Tom was a powerful leader in the emancipation movement, but she is also the author of books for women’s behavior in her time. She basically created the idea that the wife or woman of the house should be in the home.
I would think that women like Louisa Mae Alcott, daughters in families of all daughters might have the best familial programming, but that is often shaken out of them when they join the real world…school, work, etc. While she always rebeled against being a second class citizen, Louisa Mae Alcott still had to live within the structure of society.
I just saw an interesting video clip about daughters of a famous Australian stonemason who run the family business. It was uplifting and sad at the same time.
You might find the video enlightening. My take away message was, You might succeed in a man’s traditional career, but you have to overcome your own internal bias passed on to you from childhood. You may have to cut and paste this link.
http://www.skillsone.com.au/Industry/2/Building-Construction/Video/126/0/Art-of-stone/