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    Revolutionary Women: 50 Women of Color Who Reinvented the Rules
    Revolutionary Women: 50 Women of Color Who Reinvented the Rules
    Revolutionary Women: 50 Women of Color Who Reinvented the Rules
    Ebook273 pages5 hours

    Revolutionary Women: 50 Women of Color Who Reinvented the Rules

    By Ann Shen

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    About this ebook

    Revolutionary Women celebrates the amazing stories of 50 women of color who pushed boundaries, rewrote the rules, and inspired women everywhere to follow in their footsteps.
    Discover the remarkable true stories of a diverse group of women who were trailblazers and leaders in their field, becoming visible icons of excellence in their communities and beyond. From making their mark on the big screen and in the halls of NASA to ruling on the courts of the US Open and the Supreme Court, their incredible stories will inspire you to embrace your authentic self and live your life in full color.
     
    For fans of Ann Shen's beloved Bad Girls Throughout History, this spiritual successor celebrates the accomplishments of these incredible women alongside Ann Shen's signature artwork. From dancers, actors, and singers to scientists, astronauts, politicians, and activists, these women used their voices and their passions to change the world. They include:
     
    • Gloria Estefan, one of the best-selling female music artists of all time.
    • Anna Sui, an iconic fashion designer for over four decades.
    • Bessie Stringfield, the motorcycle queen of Miami.
    • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever sworn into Congress.
    • Misty Copeland, the first Black woman principal dancer at American Ballet Theater.
    • Joyce Chen, the first Chinese celebrity chef.
     
    Revolutionary Women captures their extraordinary stories in a beautiful and inspiring format that elevates their achievements. Readers will love the new take on Ann Shen's beloved first book, as well as the uplifting stories, beautiful and rich art, and the inspiration for readers to forge their own paths.
     
    BEAUTIFUL gift: This book combines fun and colorful illustrations with important history through the lens of intersectional feminism, celebrating women of color for the amazing things they accomplished, appealing to people of all ages and genders.
    Perfect for:
    • Customers who also bought BAD GIRLS THROUGHOUT HISTORY or LEGENDARY LADIES
    • Fans of Fashion, Art, and History
    • Self-Proclaimed Feminists
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChronicle Books Digital
    Release dateNov 1, 2022
    ISBN9781797221236
    Revolutionary Women: 50 Women of Color Who Reinvented the Rules
    Author

    Ann Shen

    Ann Shen is an illustrator and graphic designer whose work is featured around the world. She is the author of Bad Girls Throughout History and Legendary Ladies. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

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      Book preview

      Revolutionary Women - Ann Shen

      Cover: Revolutionary Women by Ann Shen

      Copyright © 2022 by Ann Shen.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Names: Shen, Ann, author.

      Title: Revolutionary women / Ann Shen.

      Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2022] | Includes bibliographical references.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2022007098 (print) | LCCN 2022007099 (ebook) | ISBN 9781452184593 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781797221236 (ebook)

      Subjects: LCSH: Minority women--History. | Minority women--Biography. | Women social reformers--Biography.

      Classification: LCC HQ1161 .S44 2022 (print) | LCC HQ1161 (ebook) | DDC 305.42--dc23/eng/20220330

      LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022007098

      LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022007099

      Design by Rachel Harrell.

      Chronicle books and gifts are available at special quantity discounts to corporations, professional associations, literacy programs, and other organizations. For details and discount information, please contact our premiums department at [email protected] or at 1-800-759-0190.

      Chronicle Books LLC

      680 Second Street

      San Francisco, California 94107

      www.chroniclebooks.com

      For my parents, Yu and Tien, who always made me feel like I was somebody.

      For everyone who’s never felt seen.

      And for Ryan, always.

      Introduction

      IN PURSUIT OF ART

      Dorothy Toy

      Eartha Kitt

      Gloria Estefan

      Misty Copeland

      Nancy Kwan

      Tracey Norman

      Yayoi Kusama

      IN PURSUIT OF EQUITY

      Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

      Grace Lee Boggs

      Kamala Harris

      Patsy Mink

      Shirley Chisholm

      Sonia Sotomayor

      Stacey Abrams

      IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

      Ann Lowe

      Joyce Chen

      Maria Tallchief

      Naomi Osaka

      Portia White

      Rita Moreno

      Victoria Draves

      IN PURSUIT OF EXPLORATION

      Annie Easley

      Bessie Coleman

      Bessie Stringfield

      Hazel Ying Lee

      Kalpana Chawla

      Mae Jemison

      Mary Golda Ross

      IN PURSUIT OF EXPRESSION

      Anna Sui

      Carmen Rupe

      Celia Cruz

      Isabel Allende

      Sandra Oh

      Sylvia Rivera

      IN PURSUIT OF IDENTITY

      Annie Dodge Wauneka

      Dolores Huerta

      Georgia Gilmore

      Jovita Idár

      Kathleen Kay Livingstone

      Madonna Thunder Hawk

      Whina Cooper

      Wilma Mankiller

      Zitkála-Šá

      IN PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE

      Anandibai Joshee

      Charlotta Bass

      Chien-Shiung Wu

      Ida B. Wells

      Marie Van Brittan Brown

      Pura Belpré

      Susan La Flesche Picotte

      References

      Acknowledgments

      About the Author

      In a time when history books on women have become their own genre, I wanted to write a book that features something close to my heart—a book with historically underrepresented women as the leads. The lives and work of BIPOC women—Black, Indigenous, East Asian, South Asian, Latinx, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented women—have long been passed over, largely due to who gets to tell their story and a historically white publishing industry. I’m writing this book to create space for underrepresented women who have impacted the world in marvelous ways but may have had their stories left behind. More than that, this book is about the vibrant, multifaceted lives these women led and are still leading. What follows in these pages are stories of people who had big dreams, great loves, and joyful triumphs along with rejections and missteps like everyone else. This is a book that represents the multiracial and multiethnic world of people who shaped (and continue to shape) our modern society.

      When we talk about BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ people who are historically underrepresented, we often focus on how difficult their experiences have been and how sad their lives are in a postcolonial society. But our lives are so much bigger than that. I want to share the stories of these real people who had very real, full lives. As a second-generation child of Taiwanese immigrants and woman of color, I want to be remembered for the dreams I achieved, people I loved, and impact I made—not the systemic challenges that were always going to be rigged against me. We are not defined by that. And as the women in the following pages will prove, many of our dreams come true. And when they do, it’s not just for us; it’s for everyone who helped us, believed in us, and came after us.

      I rarely think about the color of my skin, especially in terms of limiting my dreams, even if other people do the moment they see me. I think about what I want to do with this one and only adventure I get to be on in this lifetime, and I think about the people I can help with my work and my life. These dreams are shaped by my personal life experiences and cultural heritage—something every individual is impacted by in their own lives. Race and ethnicity are not, and should not be, impediments to living out our dreams, but cannot be ignored as factors that make us who we are too. Every one of the women chronicled in these pages had big dreams and worked hard to make them come true. By creating art, organizing communities, inventing in STEM, expressing their spirits, and pursuing greater goals, these women started small revolutions that would snowball into greater advancement for all people—especially underrepresented women. Some had ambitions so great they weren’t accomplished in one lifetime alone, but their impact would be felt for generations to come. There would be no Mae Jemison without Bessie Coleman.

      It is the richness of our diverse backgrounds that makes life so beautiful and interesting. When we come together to achieve things and inspire one another, it brings out the best we can be as humans. When we forge a new path, we leave space for people to come after us and grow beyond the things we created. There’s so much wisdom to be shared through our many different experiences. We only live our one life, but when we read, we get to live the experience of others. I’m hoping that these women’s stories become a part of your life too.

      So this book exists to help you find people who made paths where there were none. To see what people pursued with great passion and to discover who cracked glass ceilings will maybe help you find a path of your own. My hope through sharing their stories is that you will also start your own revolutions.

      All my love,

      PS: While I regret that this book could never contain the billions of underrepresented women who have lived and who racially make up the global majority, I’m proud to share the stories of many women people should get to know. This is by no means a definitive list. I also didn’t include any women from my previous books, to give space to people I haven’t shared before.

      IN PURSUIT OF ART

      May 28, 1917–July 10, 2019

      CELEBRATED DANCER WHO WOWED THE WORLD

      Dorothy Toy was a Japanese American dancer who tapped her way across the globe and back with her partner, Paul Wing, in the 1930s to 1960s. They were the first Asian American dancers in show business, and they appeared in films and stages around the world—including the 1948 gangster feature No Orchids for Miss Blandish. Talented, glamorous, and hardworking, Toy was a pioneer for Asian Americans in dance, film, and theater, fields that still don’t provide a lot of opportunities for Asian Americans.

      When you take your bows at the end, it hits me … money doesn’t count. You get that pleasure inside your heart.

      1917

      Born in San Francisco, Toy was raised in Los Angeles, where her parents owned a restaurant across the street from a vaudeville theater, The Regent. The theater manager spotted a young Toy dancing en pointe in front of her parents’ restaurant and encouraged them to put her in dance classes. Without much money, her parents traded food for lessons for their young daughter and supported her pursuit of dance. Her first teacher was Russian, and the Cossack moves she learned from him helped shape her style.

      1934

      Toy and her sister, Helen, appeared in the film Happiness Ahead. While auditioning for roles, they frequently ran into Paul Wing, and the young Chinese American dancer suggested they form a trio. The Three Mahjongs were born.

      1936

      Toy graduated from high school and the Three Mahjongs head to Chicago for bright lights and stages. Helen soon left the act to pursue singing, and Toy and Wing started performing together. The duo became known for their unique mix of soft-shoe, jitterbugging, Lindy, and ballet-influenced ballroom dancing.

      1937

      Toy and Wing caught the attention of talent agents and soon signed with the William Morris Agency. They appeared in the musical short Deviled Ham, after which they were nicknamed the Chinese Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The moniker helped them gain professional momentum at the time, but undermined their own unique talents and individuality by offering a white counterpart for people to understand their place.

      1939

      The duo became

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