Althea Gibson overcame racial barriers to become one of the world’s greatest tennis players ever!
Althea Gibson was born in August 1927 in South Carolina where her parents worked on a cotton farm. When the Great Depression struck, Althea’s family, like many others across the country, were hit hard. In 1930 they packed up and moved north to Harlem. Once there her family weren’t wealthy and relied on benefits to get by.
In Ukraine, the foremost woman poet and playwright is Larysa Petrivna Kosach-Kvitka, but she is much better known by the pen name her mother gave her: Lesya Ukrainka (Lesya of Ukraine)—a name as highly recognizable as her famous braided hair. Lesya Ukrainka is seen everywhere on statutes, postage stamps, paintings, films, and certainly in books by and about her.
Her very name “Lesya Ukrainka” was itself a brave and radical act for identifying as a Ukrainian during the oppressive regime of Imperial Russia which considered Ukrainian nationalism and the language as subversive and treasonous.
Born in 1530 in the far west of Ireland, Gráinne Ní Máille (anglicized as Grace O’Malley) was the only child of Margaret & Owen O’Malley. Her father was chieftain of the O’Malley clan and made his money through seafaring, fishing, international trade and exacting tolls on shipping in the O’Malley waters off Mayo. As a child Grace’s determination and indomitable spirit was apparent, legend has it that on being told she couldn’t sail with her father’s fleet because her long hair would get caught in the ships rigging, she cut her hair and was subsequently nicknamed Gráinne Mhaol – bald Grace.
(Translated from the original Hebrew)
The above prayer, which is recited at a majority of Holocaust memorial services, was written by a remarkable young woman whose short life was destined to have an impact on many people especially within Israel.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHEROES OF HISTORY!
Wow, I can’t believe that a whole year has gone by since I started the Sheroes of History blog on International Women’s Day 2014. I had no idea then how it would unfold, but I am so utterly thrilled with how it has.
In the past 12 months this blog has featured over 70 inspiring Sheroes; amazing women from history including scientists, writers, musicians, revolutionaries, pirates, princesses, warriors, suffragettes and so much more!
I made this collage of *nearly* all the Sheroes we’ve featured on the blog in the past year! Happy Women’s History Month everyone! (Please feel free to share!) x
Countess Markievicz was a brave woman who fought for Irish independence and was the first woman ever to be elected to the British House of Commons.
Constance Gore-Booth was born on 4th February 1868, the oldest of five children. Her father was a landowner in County Sligo, Ireland.
Constance is most well known for her role in Irish politics, but long before then her first passion was art. In 1892 she went to London to study painting. While there her political beliefs began to take shape and she joined the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). From London she moved to Paris to continue her studies. It was there that she met her soon-to-be husband, a Polish Count.
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