“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.”
Maya Angelou
I’ve already drafted all the blog posts for my book – The Palantir, but this one was my favorite. It’s inspired me to write my female characters as strong, independent characters. Before I go any further, though, I have to credit my wife, who has pushed me to get stronger female characters in my books.
On my social media posts, I asked, ‘Who was the first black female who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama?’ I believe most people would immediately answer Rosa Parks. And they’d be wrong.
There were quite a few women who refused to give up their seats on segregated busing, but it was Claudette Colvin, age 15, who stood her ground – nine months before Rosa Parks did! Claudette went to jail but fought it and was one of the plaintiffs in the court case that successfully overturned Montgomery’s bus segregation laws. How about that! I know I wouldn’t have had the guts to do what she did – at any age. For more on her, go to Claudette Colvin.
I learned of Claudette Colvin’s story when researching my books, as I was searching for strong females in history, especially teenage girls, to inspire my writing. Here’s a list of some impressive girls. You know many, but there’s a couple on the list that I bet you didn’t. Enjoy.
At the age of 16, Joan of Arc, an illiterate French peasant girl, convinced the French leader that she should lead the French to victory in the 100-year war. Surprisingly, the crown prince gave her an army that she led to multiple victories over the English. For her efforts, the English burned her at the stake.
Just two months after delivering her first baby, Sacagawea, 17, joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition. With her infant in tow, she became an invaluable expedition member, helping them with her foraging, navigating, and language skills.
Did you know that two years after Paul Revere’s famous ride, a 16-year-old girl named Sibyl Ludington rode over three times the distance Revere did, rousing soldiers in a driving rain to protect against an imminent British attack? And unlike Revere, the British didn’t capture her.
How can I not include Helen Keller, who overcame blindness and deafness to become a college graduate, published author, and disability and civil rights advocate.
My list of amazing teenage girls could go on, but I’ll end it with Malala Yousafzai. Starting at the age of 11, she risked her life to write about what it was like going to school in a Taliban-held area. She survived an assassination attempt and became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner!
The picture below shows two real-life heroines that I know – my daughters, with their husbands. Both are world travelers, with my favorite travel story of them being the time they were dragging their suitcases across the border from Thailand to Cambodia.
My oldest daughter is an elementary school teacher and coach in a bi-lingual inner-city school. My youngest daughter, who is also my travel guide for my book trips, works for a non-profit organization helping farmers in Africa and India plant trees to provide food and income for their families while improving the environment.
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