Girl power
Women should follow role models to make an impact
OWUSU is a
sophomore broadcasting
major and a Daily
Nebraskan columnist.
Despite efforts in recent years to
improve the status of women in the
workplace, in sports and in politics,
women still have many barriers to
overcome. We live in a society that is
dominated by men, yet women have
so many talents.
In the United States, we have yet
to see a female president Why is
this? In only a few countries has
there ever been a female prime min
ister, such as Great Britain’s
Margaret Thatcher, who was a suc
cessful politician.
Last year, I listened to a speech at
the Lied Center, given by Coretta
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Martin Luther King Jr.
Her speech was the most touch
ing and inspirational speech I have
ever heard. Listening to her speak
about her life experiences was so
emotional to listen to, I nearly cried.
The thing I respected most about
her was she was so strong. She spoke
of the pain and suffering she had
endured during the 1960s.
The many attacks she and her
family encountered from people who
were against her husband were some
of the experiences she shared.
Though she and her husband had
been imprisoned on many occasions,
she felt no anger - simply a deep
sadness for the people who had
unjustly imprisoned her.
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gave her strength through all of her
struggles was her undying faith in
God. Though she came in contact
with many barriers, she spoke of her
experiences on how she overcame
them.
Coretta had so much love and
forgiveness in her heart for all those
who had hurt her and her family. This
is what I admired most about her.
Her spirituality showed through
the entire time. It was particularly
evident as she described those who
had tormented her. She felt no
hatred.
' Even until this day she can for
give the person who killed her hus
band. This is very remarkable. Very
few women could do this.
After listening to this speech I
began to think about female role
models, and it occurred to me that we
need more women like Coretta Scott
King, who I would describe as a
strong woman of imoact.
Women are very warm, loving,
charitable and compassionate. But
women also are strong-minded indi
viduals with desires and ambitions.
My biggest role model is my
mother, who to me is simply the best.
She is a wonderful mother who is
hard-working, thoughtful and always
loving. She is full of words of wis
dom, and I can always depend on her.
She is a fantastic woman, and I
cannot praise her enough. I can only
thank her for giving me life.
There are many positive female
role models that many young women
such as myself can look up to.
Women have plenty of courage
and bravery.
Rosa Parks, for example, is a
woman who I have tremendous
admiration for. She was the first
black person to gain notoriety for
giving up her seat on the bus to a
white person during the 1960s.
Rosa Parks showed amazing
boldness. She broke a barrier that
no other woman or person in his
tory had ever done, and this is
, why she is a woman of signifi
cance.
Women are dedicated to
a cause.
Mother Teresa devoted
her whole life to the poorest
of the poor in India. She had
so much compassion for others,
and she lived her whole life giv
ing to others.
aue once uescnoeu ner
work as “ripples in the
ocean,” just like throwing a
stone into the water.
The rippling effect!
reaches out and ; x|
touches every
lines
purpose
ofher
work.
Women are beautiful, graceful
and are very influential.
Princess Diana was a woman of
great impact. She had so much com
passion for others. She was a woman
who also dedicated her life to help
ing others.
She reached out to people who
many of us would probably just
ignore. Victims of war, homeless
people, people with diseases such as
leprosy and AIDS. Diana sacrificed
her time to care for people less fortu
nate than her.
Diana cared most about making
sure that the sick and dying knew
that someone loved them.
She was a woman of impact who
we can never forget.
Women also are great athletes
and should be respected equally as
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Florence Griffith Joyner was a
woman of great importance to me.
As a young female athlete, she is a
woman I greatly respect, and one day
I may follow the strides she made.
She sensationally took the world
by storm on the track by breaking
records people thought were impos
sible. She proved the critics wrong
by setting world records in the 100
and 200 meters.
“Flo-Jo” had amazing speed,
grace and elegance. She took
women’s athletics to a whole new
level. She was perhaps the fastest
woman who ever lived.
Some women are so inspirational
that they can change others’ lives.
Oprah Winfrey is a woman who
many women can relate to because of
her many life experiences. Oprah has
personally battled problems such as
child abuse and obesity, and she is
still so strong.
She is praised by those who
watch her show. Her recent portrayal -
of the character Sethe, from the book
“Beloved” by Tom Morrison, i$ out- *
standing.
The book highlights the impor
tance of women’s relationships and
the sacrifices women are forced to
make.
Oprah has so much strength and
power that no obstacle can get in her
way. She is a realist, and she always
is positive.
There also are many female pop
stars who are of great impact.
Though I hate to admit it, even
the Spice Girls are women of impact.
They are young, artistic and very
innovative. They have broken records
in the music industry that no other
all-girl group has ever done.
They rapidly achieved enormous
worldwide fame, and they’re still the
group that we’re all talking about
They’ve popularized this whole
idea about “Girl Power.”
The Spice Girls’ philosophy is
that women should be independent,
self-motivated and dedicated to a
cause - not relying on any men.
All these women have made a
difference to our society and to oth
ers, and this is why they are women
of impact
We still need more.
Women need to set out strong
goals like the females I have men
tioned and do something positive and
productive.
Each and every woman on this
campus can be a woman of impact if
she is dedicated and committed to
her work. We all have so many quali
ties.
Some of us are caring and giving,
some of us are athletic and energetic,
some of us are intelligent, and some
of us are simply fun-loving.
One day, ladies, we will all
i graduate and gain that degree and
\ go out into the work force and
\ hopefully be like other positive
Lt females.
Fy. We are role models for;
young girls of the future.
So, let’s try and
Y increase the num
bers of women of
impact.
Strength is all we need.
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