The fight for women’s equality is filled with a dense and beautiful complexity. We finally have a voice. But very few of us realize that the voice came at the expense of women of color. The shoulders that we are standing on are the shoulders of marginalized women, the women who knew the pain of true silence. They knew the risk that accompanied the fight for women’s equality in its purest, most boiled down form. Yet, they kept the knowledge of their worth when the society tried to tell them they had no worth. They fought to breathe while the world tried to suffocate them. It is these sisters whose voices need to be honored. Whose names must be said. Who the glory must be given. Whose shoulders deserve a rest. Here are some of the women who fought for equality with nothing but fire in their heart and sweat on their brow. Ida B Wells; 1862–1931  Sufferagtee; Journalist; Anti-lynching Activist; Co-founder of the NAACP; Feminist Why we should know Ida: Ida B. Wells did not back down from a fight and refused to be silenced. She understood the way to equality was to shine a light upon the injustices of the world. Her main focus – the political use of lynching to keep African Americans as second class citizens. She realized that even the suffragette movement must be called out for their refusal to recognize lynching as a crime. Even though she was fired from her teaching job, her business burned to the ground and had her life threatened, Ida still used her voice. Almost a century after her death, the voice of her spirit is still being heard- fueling other women to call out injustices in hopes that one day all genders and races will be equal.  Cherríe Moraga; 1952- present This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color; Professor; Playwrite; Political Essayist; Feminist  Why we should know Cherrie: Cherrie Moraga entered the world of activism after becoming concerned that the feminist movement was failing to recognize women of color, trans, and lesbian women. She uses her talent as a writer to give voice and representation to the intersection of feminism, LGTBQ, women of color, and the Chicanca community. She is dedicated to the representation of marginalized females in her work. Cherrie strives to make sure they are seen as a vital part of our American culture. She knows that there will never be equality until all women are recognized and their struggles heard. Cherrie’s spirit is one of art, inclusion, and representation.   Rose Schneiderman; 1882-1972  Founded the United Cloth Hat and Cap Makers’ Union; served as the only woman on the National Labor Advisory Board under President Franklin Roosevelt; Secretary of Labor for New York; Suffragette; Feminist Why we should know Rose: Born in Poland, Rose immigrated to the United States as a child and started fighting for gender equality while she was a young adult. While working in the garment industry, her eyes were opened to both the unfair treatment of laborers and to the patriarchal system that honored men and kept women small. Rose built a foundation for other women to stand on and demand to be given the rights that should have been lawfully theirs from the beginning. She became a labor champion and led the charge of women’s equality in the workforce. Her legacy reveals the determined and selfless spirit of a woman who will lay it all on the line for her fellow sisters. Patsy Mink; 1927-2002 The first Asian American Woman to practice law in Hawaii; The first woman of color elected to Congress; Principal author of Title IX- Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act; Feminist Why we should know Patsy: Patsy Mink was a fierce fighter for race and gender equality.  She endured the unwarranted arrest of her father and many other Asian Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was denied admission to medical school because of her gender, and faced workplace discrimination because she was a mother. Patsy used her story as a catalyst for change in order to end discrimination and women’s equality. Her spirit was one of perseverance- she simply would not be told she was “less than” because she was of Asian descent and a woman. When others tried to block Patsy’s road to success, she simply built a path around the injustice and kept moving forward. Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer; 1917-1977 Civil Rights Activist; Activist for Voters Rights and in the desegregation of the Democratic Party; Founded the Freedom Farm Cooperative; Feminist Why we should know Fannie: Fannie Lou Townsend Hamer understood the importance of activism in ways many of us will never come to fathom. She was a victim of forced sterilization she called a “Mississippi Appendectomy.” Two years later she was arrested and severely beaten after trying to register to vote. Fannie turned her tragedies and gross abuses into fuel for her activism. Her influence helped change the political landscape of Mississippi. Her spirit is one of resilience. Though her rights and safety were extremely violated, she still gave so much of herself for the betterment of others and for women’s equality.  Grace Boggs; 1915-2015 Philosopher; Author; Social Activist working to improve labor and civil rights in Detroit as well as aid in environmental programs, Co-founder of Detriot Summer; Feminist Why we should know Grace: Grace understood the importance of spirituality in the fight for equality. She also understood the gravity of symbiotic relationships, especially when it came to the struggle to end discrimination among races and genders. She joined forces with others and lent her voice and insight into humanity to those who were shunned by society. Grace believed true change begins with small, meaningful acts at the community level. Grace’s spirit is one of passion, peace, and an understanding of how little changes can have big impacts.  Dolores Huerta; 1930-present Civil Rights Activist; Labor Leader; Co-founded the United Farm Workers;  Founder and