cancer slayer

When I decided to write a piece celebrating Women’s History Month, I kept thinking about the phrase, “Behind every great woman, there are more great women.” I certainly believe that to be true in my own life, and I needed to look no further than my bookshelves, my friends, fellow journalists, and cancer survivors for inspiration. Listed below are just some of the women I’m honoring this month. They are women who make me want to be better every day:

Ida B. Wells A gun-toting, anti-lynching crusader, Wells was a civil rights pioneer. In the 1870s, after being forcibly removed from her seat on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, she filed a lawsuit with the Tennessee Supreme Court, claiming her rights had been violated. Her suit was rejected, but Wells was galvanized. She spent the rest of her life fighting for the disenfranchised as a suffragist, a journalist, an author, and a fierce critic of Jim Crow. Simply, an amazing person.

Angela Winbush Aside from providing the sultry vocals on two of my favorite songs, “Angel” and “Your Smile,” Winbush battled ovarian cancer in 2003. A year later, she was performing again. Originally a backup singer, Winbush went on to sell more than 10 million albums and singles worldwide and had 20 chart-topping hits. Apparently, she had no intentions of pursuing a career in music. As a student at my alma mater and the mecca of black higher education, Howard University, she began singing to earn money. Thank God she did.

Paula Giddings She’s the author of one of the most important books ever written: When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America. After reading this masterfully written work, I was filled with even more pride about the contributions black women have made to American political discourse, race relations, and feminist identity. Giddings, a former copy editor, penned several books, but this is by far her stroke of genius.

Sheryl Crow Ever since she told Karl Rove to go kick rocks at the 2008 White House Correspondents’ dinner, Crow has been on my favorite-people list. When she asked Rove if he would nudge the Bush administration to reconsider its position on global warming, Rove told Crow that he didn’t work for her, he “worked for the American people.” She quickly retorted that she was “the American people.” Bravo. An environmental activist, singer, and songwriter, Crow is also a breast cancer slayer and one sexy gyrl.

Sharon Shahid This former USA Today editor took me under her wing when I was just a budding reporter still mixing up its and it’s. These days, Shahid is a writer and senior Web editor at the Newseum, an interactive museum of news and journalism in Washington, D.C. She’s also an author, a traveler, and one of the smartest people I know.

Harriet Michel After 20 years, Michel is stepping down as head of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Under her tenure, the organization witnessed extraordinary change. Before her arrival, U.S. corporations bought $10 billion in goods and services from minority-owned businesses. Today, that figure is closer to $100 billion. Michel is a breast cancer survivor and a history maker. “I cried, I prayed, I fought, I won. I’m proud to be a seven-year breast cancer survivor,” she said.

Edwidge Danticat A superb author and story teller, Danticat writes about the struggles of her native Haiti with grace. Read the first page of The Farming of Bones and you’ll know exactly what I mean. She writes the kind of stories that touch your soul and transform you to a place where life is a constant struggle but always a beautiful experience.

Robin Roberts After her public battle with breast cancer, Roberts emerged even more lovely. When I saw her strut the catwalk sans wig during an Isaac Mizrahi fashion show, I got choked up. And when it was my turn to rock the baldy, I remembered her bravery. As an anchor on ABC, she’s covered AIDS in Africa, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and the Sept. 11 attacks, but she’ll always hold a special place in my heart as a sister in arms.

Mira Nair Monsoon Wedding. What can I say? If you haven’t seen this film, do yourself a favor and buy it. Then buy The Namesake. Nair is a captivating director who blends strong female characters, brilliant colors, and culture to create something powerful yet delicate. When you watch her movies, you can taste the samosas, breathe in the smells of Calcutta, and experience the personal struggle and sense of pride of all Indian Americans.

Natalie Moore & Natalie Hopkinson These Howard grads teamed up to write Deconstructing Tyrone, a wonderfully insightful look at black masculinity that is at times laugh-out-loud funny and at others a somber reminder of just how troubling and complex black male identity can be. Moore, a reporter for Chicago Public Radio is writing her second book, and Hopkinson, a former editor at the Washington Post, is now associate editor at The Root.com. They’re both cultural agents to keep an eye on.

And I couldn’t forget to mention:  Deanna, my other big sister and dear friend   artistcalida, my twin soul   Ty, Alisa, Seimond, and Jess, my guardian angels   Denise, my life coach   Sonya, Steph & Kim, my comic relief   Em Brownny, my therapist   Sonia, Lesli & Rachelle, my shoulders to lean on   Kam & Juliette, my Florence Nightingales,   Kenyatta & Siobhan, my cheerleaders   Kathleen & Kellee, my positive energy force   and my mother Lorraine and sister Toni, two survivors guiding the path for me. To all of the women mentioned, you are my sheroes. Never once did you let me feel sorry for myself. Instead, you challenged me to make my voice heard to help others. And for that, I salute you all. Man, it feels good to be a woman!