Michelle Obama is known for being the first African-American First Lady, and should also be recognized for her spectacular interest in assisting others. After studying at Princeton and graduating from Harvard Law School to pursue her career in law as an attorney, she realized she wanted to be an advocate for women, higher education, service members, and healthy families. Michelle Obama also promotes healthy eating and has worked to lower the trend of obesity among Americans. There is a "Let’s Move" campaign that has been created by Michelle Obama which changed the way schools feed their students. Her very own campaign emphasizes the multiple food groups needed to create a balanced and healthy meal. Mrs. Obama speaks to inspire others as well: ¨Be focused, be determined, be hopeful, be empowered…and know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life.¨ Michelle Obama expresses her passion and support towards the young adults she is speaking to in hopes of inspiring the public to become active in the community. Without a doubt, people need to know about Michelle Obama as a woman and as an advocate who wholeheartedly acts to help others improve the world.

Harris was born on October 20 of 1964 in Oakland, California. In her early years, Harris had early envisions of herself becoming a lawyer after she would graduate from Westmount High School in Canada. Then after Harris graduated high school, she would return to the United States and attended Howard University in Washington D.C. where she would receive a bachelor's degree in political science and economics. Then she would soon transfer to the University of California Hastings College of the Law in her home state of California where she would earn a Juris Doctor degree. All of these early life accomplishments would set her up in her later years to break some of the women and color barriers that many thought could never happen. Americans need to know about Kamala Harris because of all the barriers she's broken with her being a Black, African American woman, and the impact that this has on America in an equality sense.

In the year 2003, Harris would take power over Terence Hallinan, who was the San Francisco Attorney General at the time, and Harris won the election and was crowned the Attorney General of San Francisco. This example indicates the first major stepping stone that Harris accomplished, and that was becoming the first ever black woman to be in such power of office.

In Harris’s first 3 years in office, one of the many problems that were improved upon was the conviction rate which was raised from 52% to 67%, which shows the immediate impact she had on the community.

In 2010 of November, Harris would win the election to be asserted as the attorney general of

California, beating the Los Angeles county district attorney general, Steve Cooley. This example exhibits another barrier broken by Kamala Harris as she became the first-ever black, and south Asian American, attorney general of the state of California. 

November 7th, 2020 marks one of the biggest changes in American history. With Joe Biden elected as the 46th president of the United States, the vice president that he was running with was Kamala Harris, as she became the first-ever woman, first-ever black, and Asian American to serve as the vice president in the country's history. This example here demonstrates another barrier that Harris shattered. Harris being the first ever woman to be in such power, and a woman of color, demonstrates that any woman in America can do whatever they want, as long as they are as hard-working as anyone else in what they want to do.

All of these barriers that Harris has broken throughout her years on earth should be recognized by Americans throughout the country because of her persistence and industrious work.

The cinematic icon who represents her quirky characters as an American actress, Winona Ryder, was born October 29th, 1971 in Winona, Minnesota. Her family was a bunch of writers so growing up she was introduced and exposed to a lot of other writers and artists like Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Ryder and her family were Jewish and she dealt with the struggle of the death of most of her family members dying in the Holocaust. In school at age ten, she was bullied a lot for having features like a boy. Winona Ryder turned to act thinking it would help the bullying in school but for one of her main roles in “Beetlejuice” she said  “I remember thinking, ‘Ooh, it’s Beetlejuice, like, the number-one movie. This is going to make things great at school, but it made things worse. They called me a witch.” Winona Ryder, starting at age twelve, began studying at the “American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco”, still shooting for the stars, graduating from Petaluma High School with a GPA of 4.0. Winona rising on the scale was an inspiration for all teen girls, being known as the 90’s dream girl. She starred in Heathers (1989), Great Balls of Fire (1989), Mermaids (1990), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). She won 25 awards and got 75 nominations. She never let the popularity get the best of her and was still known as an outsider that others could relate to.

Due to her bravery and devotion to assisting others, Clara Barton is regarded as one of the most highly respected women in American history. Born in North Oxford, Massachusetts, Barton’s surroundings had a profound impact on the way in which she lived. As a woman, her credibility was constantly questioned by misogynist individuals in her workplace. Despite their hurtful remarks, Barton went on to fulfill her dreams of helping those in need and advocating for both gender equality and accessible healthcare for all. The National Women’s History Museum describes a pivotal moment in Barton's career where she “resigned when she discovered that the school had hired a man at twice her salary, saying she would never work for less than a man” (Michals). Her powerful choice made it clear to many that she was willing to do whatever it took to be respected for who she was. She went on to create the American Red Cross, which is an organization that works towards protecting those injured in combat, and people living in dangerous areas. As she intended, to this day it is still actively assisting individuals who have faced catastrophic circumstances. Barton also gained the nickname “Angel of the Battlefield” for her selfless acts of caring for those wounded in the Civil War. Barton should be recognized for her remarkable contributions to women’s suffrage movements and the fight for improved healthcare. She is a phenomenal role model for young women, and her inspiring story continues to serve as an example of how gender does not limit one's ability to be successful. 

The name Jane Cooke Wright may not be connected to the achievements she has made throughout the history of her life, but she is a woman that Americans should know due to her groundbreaking discovery that changed the medical field for the better. Wright was inspired to make a difference after her father, Dr Louis Tompkins Wright, graduated from  the challenging University of Harvard Medical School, and became the first African-American graduate. Dr.Louis Wright then founded his own cancer research foundation where Jane Wright worked during her college studies at New York Medical College. Wright decided to work on her own research apart from her family business after receiving her degree in Oncology. Wright was the mind behind using chemotherapy to treat cancerous tumors, but more so breast cancer in the early 20th century. There was an incredible breakthrough in Wright's career after “Wright led a seminal piece of research that laid the foundations for treating solid tumors chemo-therapeutically” allowing doctors to realize and note the toxicity of the patient, including which treatment would be best suited for the unhealthy individual. Following this discovery, Wright realized that “this required collaboration amongst the oncology community” and decided to found The American Society of Clinical Oncology, along with other oncologists in 1964. Wright became the first ever female president of the “New York Cancer Society” due to her dedication to her peers and the program itself. After all Jane Cooke Wright has discovered for the medical field, she is a female individual that should be noticed and respected across America.

Helen Adams Keller was born a healthy child on the 27th of June in 1880 to her parents Katherine and Arthur. A few months after Keller’s first birthday she fell ill and was forced to live her whole life deaf and blind. While these major lack of senses would cause the average person to feel utterly defeated, Keller, with the support of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, went on to be one of the most inspiring and influential humanitarian figures. Keller is known as a successful writer leaving behind 12 published books some of her most famous being, The Story of My Life (1902), and The World I Live In (1908). Later in her life, Keller got into politics and spoke out on the women’s suffrage movements and disability rights. Helen Keller traveled the world and orated her thoughts to large groups. Keller wanted to make change and believed she could influence people in the right direction,“I do not like the world as it is; so I am trying to make it a little more as I want it”(1912). To this day, Keller is an extremely significant figure in the deaf and blind communities and is remembered as a figure of determination and perseverance to all. 

Americans should be familiar with Jane Goodall. Dr. Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, also known as Jane Goodall was born in Bournemouth, England, on April 3, 1934. She always loved the outdoors and animals as a child. She had several family pets, including the adored dog Rusty, a pony, and a turtle. Jane fell in love with Africa while reading the Tarzan and Dr. Dolittle books when she was about eight years old. She dreamed of going to Africa to work with the animals that appeared in her favorite books. In what is now Gombe, Tanzania, Goodall conducted a seminal research on chimpanzee behavior which is what Goodall is best known for. She found that chimpanzees use tools, consume meat, and engage in social behavior akin to that of humans. Jane Goodall reflects on her time in this world as she said “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Generations have been motivated to conserve and defend the fellow inhabitants of our planet by Goodall’s special connection to the natural world and animals. 

Shonda Rhimes is a female African-American television producer that Americans should know because of the diverse representation of characters in her productions. Born in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Rhimes has always had an interest in film, particularly in series and would later graduate from Dartmouth and attend film school at the University of South Carolina. Ms. Rhimes is most largely known for her Shondaland productions, and creations, of Grey’s Anatomy, Bridgerton and How to Get Away with Murder starring Viola Davis. Ms.Rhimes’s strives to focus on and build her productions around racially diverse casts as well as strong female characters as lead roles, which had and continue to have an influence due to the challenge on “norms” in the film industry. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Ms. Rhimes makes an impactful statement:“We still comment when we see a woman of a different size on television. We still comment when a main character is a little bit older than we’re used to seeing, or if somebody is differently-abled. We still comment on somebody of a different ethnicity. It’s not the norm. But in the real world, that is the norm. You look around, and you see people of all kinds. And right now, you don’t see women of all kinds on television.” Americans need to see one of the outstanding productions by Shonda Rhimes and witness the impact she leaves as a female African-American producer in the competitive film industry.

Laverne Cox is a transgender woman of color and a riveting LGBTQ+ activist, and it is crucial that Americans know who she is because of the importance of learning about LGBTQ+ people in media who are helping the world become a more accepting, and diverse, place. Cox was born in Mobile, Alabama with her identical twin brother in 1972 to a single mother and grandmother. When she was 40 years old, Laverne Cox auditioned for a role that would later be considered history. Orange is the New Black starred Cox as Sophia Burset, a transgender woman in a women’s prison. Later, she would be known as the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for an Emmy Award as well as the first transgender woman of color to have a main role in a socially accepted TV series. After the well-renowned Netflix series had ended, Cox continued to make history by auditioning, acting, and producing many other shows & films such as Promising Young Woman and Disclosure. In 2014, she produced a film called The T Word featuring the lives of seven transgender people and the struggles they endured throughout their lives regarding their gender and race. Because of the originality, genuineness, and the work ethic of the transgender woman of color who produced the film otherwise known as the lovely Laverne Cox, the documentary won a Daytime Emmy Award making it the first transgender-based movie to win such an extraordinary award. All of this success, this hard work, it paid off and eventually, Cox became the first transgender woman to be on the cover of world-famous magazine Time. While she’s still an actress, Laverne Cox has now, and always, dedicated her life to speaking on transgender issues around America, the history of transgenderism & the LGBTQ+ community, and educating those on what it means to be transgender. Having someone famous who can represent so many different communities and who can help be a voice for those who have never had one is so important, and Laverne Cox has the power to advocate in order to affirm safety for transgender people who are simply trying to live their lives peacefully. One of Cox’s most famous quotes touches on her motive for all of her earnest work in the media industries: “I have always been aware that I can never represent all trans people. No one or two or three trans people can. This is why we need diverse media representations of trans folks to multiply trans narratives in the media and depict our beautiful diversities."

Lydia Villa-Komaroff was a renowned molecular biologist known for her work in insulin related research. She was born on August 7th, 1947, and is still alive and sharing her knowledge today. Being a hispanic female, Komaroff faced quite a lot of bitterness in her pursuit to being a scientist, specifically when it came to academic environments. Komaroff has two instances of her being insulted because she was a woman, from two different schools. Despite the slandering comments, she went on to graduate from MIT with a PhD. She shifted through many paths, later becoming a professor, then she went on to work in a research lab at Harvard. Komaroff worked with an insulin cloning team and her findings on DNA’s processing of insulin would go on to be used to develop proinsulin. Her work altered the way scientists viewed medicine and the production of insulin. Through her journey, Komaroff not only overcame outright sexism, but also found her voice and her courage to pursue a path that everyone else deterred her from. Komaroff now mentors other young girls in STEM to stick to their goals and achieve their dreams, and she continues her work still learning and teaching as she did before: “you’re never too old to need a mentor and you’re never too young to be a mentor.”

Due to the wonderful impact she has made on young, impressionable minds through her music, Taylor Swift is a woman that Americans need to be aware of. At the age of 14, Swift moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams to write country music. Even though Swift moved to sing country music, she later felt that pop music was what she was more comfortable singing. Many young minds look at Taylor Swift as a role model because they see how successful she is. Swift reached her goals through her music but also through supporting other women in empowerment. Angela Natividad explains in "Here's Why Taylor Swift Is The Perfect Role Model:" “Not only does the singer believe in empowering women, she tries to help empower other celebrities to strive in their careers” (8, Taylor Believes in Women Empowerment). Overall, Swift is an amazing role model for young minds; she believes in youth and empowerment!

Born on February 20th, 1988, into a family of Barbadian singers, primarily who sang pop and R&B, it is no surprise that Rhianna entered into a career in music. Her distinctive versatile voice and stunning fashionable appearances have made her a global image and icon for young African American female youth, which is something that the world needs to be aware of. In 2004, Rihanna entered into a girl group with two close friends, which sparked interest in an American record producer by the name of Evan Rogers. This was the start of her booming career. Following four studio album releases, Rihanna collaborated with her management team in order to release “Fenty Beauty by Rihanna,” an all-inclusive makeup and skincare line. The Facebook website contains a quote that states the following, “Fenty was created for everyone: for women of all shades, personalities, attitudes, cultures, and races. I wanted people to be included, that’s why I made this line.” Not only is Rihanna a singer/songwriter, but she is also an actress and proud business owner of two companies. Throughout her career, it is clear that she has made history. Rihanna has continued her influential role through activism; by supporting movements of racial injustice and women's rights, she continues to assist youth around that world to believe they are capable of doing whatever they please so long as they put in the effort.  

Gloria Steinem is possibly one of the most powerful and influential feminists of all time. She is a “writer, political activist, and feminist organizer.”  Steinem co-founded the feminist magazine, Ms. Magazine, in 1972, and still remains one of its editors to this day.  In addition to her magazine, Steinem has written a few books like The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off, My Life on the Road, Moving Beyond Words, and Revolution from Within. She has also won many rewards for her books and her journalism. Steinem is not only a journalist, but she has also co-founded many feminist organizations, such as: “the Women's Action Alliance”; “the National Women's Political Caucus”; “the Women's Media Center”; “Voters for Choice: a Pro-Choice Political Action Committee”; “Planned Parenthood Action Fund”; “Choice USA”; “the Ms. Foundation for Women”; and “the Beyond Racism Initiative.” Not only has Steinem been a women's rights activist, she also has done her part to share awareness about child abuse when she decided to co-produce and narrate an Emmy Award winning TV documentary for HBO called “Multiple Personalities: The Search for Deadly Memories.” In conclusion, Gloria Steinem is a women's rights activist that everyone should learn about because she is truly a hard-working and caring person.

Marie Curie is a woman that Americans should recognize for her services. Curie was born on November 7th, 1867 in Warsaw, Poland. Curie was the daughter of  a secondary school teacher  (her mother) and would receive scientific training from her father. Curie’s older sister and 

mother passed away, and her father lost his job due to Polish rule during these 

times. Curie’s love and passion for science is what cleared out her head of the 

tragedies of her life. Moving to Paris gave her an opportunity to continue her studies. In Paris, Curie acquired her degrees in Physics and Mathematical Sciences. Curie was the first ever 

woman to become a professor in general physics after her husband, the original 

professor, passed away. Curie was also the first person to discover radium and polonium, as well as the first person to separate radium. Curie was the first ever woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the only woman in history to win the award twice. This indicates that Curie was a generational genius with her own discoveries about radium and polonium being key factors to her victories. Curie’s passion for science displays her true love for it, the same love she used to bond with her father as a young child, and reminding her of the memories and time she spent with him. Curie’s time dedicated to science truly did assist her in undercovering her true love as well. Curie’s intelligence, her winning Nobel prizes,

the discoveries she made that are impactful to this day, and her dedication to science are what we, as a society, should still speak about today. If people today could be as resilient as Curie, our economy would ascend because Curie's willpower was unmatched.

Angelina Jolie is a Oscar-winning American actress, filmmaker and humanitarian who is easily considered one of the most popular and famous women in the film industry. She was born on June 4th, 1975 in Los Angeles California, U.S. People may have seen her perform in films such as Maleficent, Tomb Raider and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Despite all of her fame and fortune, it’s almost she has a different life of her own . She is incredibly inspiring and demonstrates heroic actions and humanitarian efforts. Jolie is involved in multiple humanitarian missions across the globe, including her traveling to fields and founded charities such as “UNCHR”. Fortunately, later on she had received a position to be the ambassador for the Goodwill United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Alongside being given this role, she received a Global Humanitarian Action Award for her deep involvement on behalf of the refugee rights and her ability to draw attention to global issues. Ever since then, Jolie has dedicated her life to working for society and using her powers as a respected and popular celebrity to shed light on serious matters and help raise social awareness towards social media and society. Her entire life story incredibly inspires me. As a role model, Jolie is not only talented and beautiful, she she has a heart of gold and shows kindness in every aspect of life. She had a very tough childhood and fought with breast cancer, but even then she never gave up on her children and her charities. She has used her story to inspire people to face their breasts’ problems positively and spoke about how she dealt with  it along the way and delivers messages to women that they can be strong enough to conquer all frustrations with love and kindness. She is inspiring because of the things she does, not for herself but others. She used all of her wealth to help people and make a difference in the world. Heroes are everywhere, and she is one of those great heroes. 

Every American, no matter who they are, should know the story of Chiara Badano. Born in Sassello, Italy, Chiara was the long-awaited child of her parents, Ruggano and Maria Teresa. She was a lively, joyful girl with a heart for God and others. As an adolescent, Chiara joined the Focolare Movement, a community of young people bringing unity and love through the teachings of the Gospel. It was there that she spiritually matured and learned what it meant to be a true Christian. Although her spirituality was advanced for a girl her age, she was, overall, a regular teenager. She enjoyed the beach, playing tennis, skating, and spending time with friends. But the way she loved was extraordinary, a love that was real and selfless. There were countless times she gave her belongings, time, and smiles to those who were old, impoverished, and undergoing suffering. Little did she know that soon she would also endure some of the worst sufferings. At seventeen, she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Not too long after she was unable to walk and partake in the activities she loved.  However, she offered up all her pain as a prayer to Heaven resting on the fact that Jesus loved her and suffered with her. In her struggle, she remained a light for all around her with her bright and serene disposition. She accepted her suffering with grace, seeing it as a way to grow in love and faith. Her last words, before her death at nineteen, were to her mother, saying, “Be happy, because I am!”. In a world where hardship is avoided at all costs, Chiara reminds everyone of the strength and joy that can be found when one embraces suffering with charity. 

Valentina Tereshkova was born in Maslennikova, Russia. Valentina Tereshkova had no pilot training, but was an amateur parachutist and a cosmonaut. Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space, but not many Americans know about Valentina Tereshkova. Valentina Tereshkova re-entered the atmosphere in the Vostok 6 and successfully parachuted to earth. She once stated, “If women can be railroad workers in Russia, why can't they fly in space?" Her quote expresses her beliefs about why women should be allowed to go to space. Women who aspire to become astronauts should look up to Valentina Tereshkova because she was the first astronaut to break barriers.

Eleanor Roosevelt was the first lady of the United States, from 1933-1945. American individuals need to know about Eleanor Roosevelt because of her efforts in advocating for human and women’s rights. In her childhood, Eleanor was known as a shy child, losing her mother in 1892 and her father who followed a suit two years after, placing Eleanor under the care of her maternal grandmother. Although all of these tragedies happened to her in her childhood, it did not stop Eleanor from becoming the most groundbreaking first lady in history. Once married to her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1905, Eleanor found her voice through public service, working for the American Red Cross. As soon as Franklin took office as president in 1933, Eleanor greatly changed the role of first lady by being dissatisfied with staying in the back and handling domestic matters. Instead, she gave press conferences, spoke out for women’s issues, human rights, and children’s causes, as well as working on behalf of the League of Women Voters. Because Eleanor took brave measures: advocating for the country’s poor, standing up against discrimination, and visiting U.S. troops during World War II, she made a legacy of herself to the world, becoming an inspiration to many women. Even after her death on November 7, 1962, she continues to have a tremendous name for herself, and has become the most memorable first lady and humanitarian in history. 

Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young, known as Winnie Harlow, needs to be recognized by the fashion industry more often than she is right now. Harlow was born and raised in Toronto. What inspired her to be this amazing influencer was that she suffers from a chronic skin condition called vitiligo that has resulted in the depigmentation of portions of her skin. Harlow has had a huge impact on not only people with this vigilio condition, but also females all around the world. At only 25 years old, Harlow has already altered the face of fashion. Since competing under her actual name, Chantelle Brown-Young, on the 21st season of America's Next Top Model, where she was found by Tyra Banks, she has played a key role in the movement toward a more inclusive and diverse fashion industry. Following her first Vogue cover for Vogue Arabia, she said of her journey: “[It’s] all to be able to tell, no, SHOW the world that representation matters. That beauty is within the eye of the beholder and no one's ‘definition of beauty’ should matter but your own.”  Harlow had to switch schools several times as a result of being bullied as a kid. She ultimately dropped out and briefly considered harming herself. Suffering from bullying as a child she describes, “no one's ‘definition of beauty’ should matter but your own.” This message spreads lots of awareness to those who are suffering from poor mental health, which is very common nowadays. Between changing the direction of fashion, spreading awareness about vitiligo, and inspiring all types of people around the world, it is fair to say that Winnie Harlow needs to be recognized.