Celebrate these five extraordinary women

Happy Women’s History Month!

Today we celebrate five extraordinary women that have helped shaped the world today:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate of the Supreme Court from 1993 to her death in 2020.

She was only the second woman to serve on the US Supreme Court.

Born into an observant Jewish family, she regularly attended synagogue and participated in Jewish traditions.

She attended Cornell University on a full scholarship where she was inspired to pursue a career in law.

Ginsburg then studied at Harvard Law School, finishing her degree at Columbia University.

Despite her excellent credentials, she struggled to find employment as a lawyer because of her gender and the fact that she was a mother.

Only a small percentage of women had gone on to be lawyers, and only two had ever served as federal judges.

Despite this, she went on to become a leading figure in gender-discrimination litigation.

She was nominated by Bill Clinton to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Byron White and became known for her outspokenness and being a trailblazer for women’s rights.

Mary McMillan

Best known as the “Mother of Physical Therapy”, Mary McMillan is credited with immense contributions during World War 1 that paved the way for the future of physical therapists.

Mary obtained extensive training in modern physical therapy practices in Europe which she used to treat children with polio in the US and used those same skills to rehabilitate injured soldiers during the war.

Following the war, McMillan and her colleagues formed the American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association (AWPTA) to build on the momentum of the war and preserve the resources developed.

McMillan was elected to serve as the first president of the organization where she promised to do everything in her power “to live up to the trust and confidence” that was placed in her by her election.

Martha Graham

Martha Graham is known for being one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century. She helped lead the American modern dance revolution, breaking from the traditions of classical ballet and working to “reveal the inner man”.

After her family settled in Santa Barbara, California in 1909, she discovered the rhythm of the sea and became acquainted with Asian art which influenced her choreography throughout her career.

She was introduced to a repertory and curriculum that explored the world’s dances such as folk, classical and experimental.

Graham made her New York City debut as an independent artist in 1926 where the critics found her graceful and lyrical. That changed in 1927, and for the next decade and furthermore, when the startingly original dances she performed were referred to as ugly, stark, and obscure.

Despite being revered as unsettling, her dance form has grown and is now one of the leading and significant alternatives to the idiom of classical ballet.

Oprah Winfrey

Many know her as the actress and talk show host, but Oprah Winfrey is much more than that.

Oprah is the founder of her production company Harpo, Inc., which produces media concentrating on topics that can help people improve their lives.

Shows focus on subjects ranging from battered women and alcoholism, to building relationships with family members. Her most successful and popular enterprise was “The Oprah Winfrey Show” which ran for 25 seasons and was named the longest-running daytime talk show in history. She has used her success to create unparalleled connections with people all around the world.

Today, because of her accomplishments as a global leader and philanthropist, she is a widely respected and admired public figure.

Mary Eliza Mahoney

Mary Eliza Mahoney was one of the first African American nurses to work in US hospitals. She was born to freed slaves and was determined to build a good life for herself.

She was drawn to healthcare from a young age and worked as a cook, janitor, washwoman, and nursing aid for 15 years before beginning a nursing education.

She joined a 16-month nursing course and graduated the next year as one of the only four out of 43 students that passed to graduate. During her time as a student, she provided nursing care, attended lectures, and studied the different aspects of surgical, medical, and maternity wards.

She even worked as a private duty nurse for four months of her training. Her reputation as a good nurse grew exponentially throughout Massachusetts and soon, she received requests for her nursing help from all over America.

Mariah Hunt Life Writer