Modern Herstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History

Zusatztext 76547967 Informationen zum Autor Blair Imani, foreword by Tegan and Sara Klappentext An inspiring and radical celebration of 70 women, girls, and gender nonbinary people who have changed--and are still changing--the world, from the Civil Rights Movement and Stonewall riots through Black Lives Matter and beyond. With a radical and inclusive approach to history, Modern HERstory profiles and celebrates seventy women and nonbinary champions of progressive social change in a bold, colorful, illustrated format for all ages. Despite making huge contributions to the liberation movements of the last century and today, all of these trailblazers come from backgrounds and communities that are traditionally overlooked and under-celebrated: not just women, but people of color, queer people, trans people, disabled people, young people, and people of faith. Authored by rising star activist Blair Imani, Modern HERstory tells the important stories of the leaders and movements that are changing the world right here and right now--and will inspire you to do the same. INTRODUCTION When I was twelve years old, I realized that making a difference can be as simple as fighting for what you believe in, unapologetically living in your truth, or taking steps to improve the lives of others. I was fortunate to grow up with the constant encouragement from family and community members that I could realize the change I wanted to see in the world. Every one of us has the potential to make an indelible mark on our world; however, the stories of the ordinary heroes responsible for the most important social changes in history are often obscured. Studying history in college, I learned that it is usually written by those who have the most privilege and the most power. As a result, the contributions of diverse groups are often overlooked or erased, while those in power who uphold the status quo are praised as heroes. Throughout history, diverse trailblazing individuals have been subjected to this erasure. For example, voting rights activist and civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer frequently goes unacknowledged in conversations about the Civil Rights Movement . Fannie Lou was a black woman born and raised in rural Mississippi, and she survived the violent oppressions faced by countless black women in the American South. After being fired from her job as a sharecropper simply because she registered to vote, she went on to dedicate her entire life to fighting for the rights of black people to direct their own futures. Fannie Lou was arrested and beaten for attempting to exercise rights, like voting, that America claims to promise to all its people. Similarly, few people are aware of the legacy of Chinese American experimental physicist Chien-Shiung Wu , a key contributor to the World War IIera American research initiative known as the Manhattan Project. The Nobel Prize for her award-winning and eponymous Wu Experiment was given to her male colleagues Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang in 1957, despite the fact she developed it. Two transgender activists of color, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson , helped define the present state of LGBTQ rights organizing in the United States; however, their contributions continue to go unacknowledged within the LGBTQ community. Even a film documenting the historic event at which Sylvia and Marsha gained prominence, the 1969 Stonewall Riots, erased the presence of transgender women of color, instead centering the stories of white gay cisgender men. While history focuses on men and the stories of patriarchs, her story deliberately prioritizes the stories of women, people of color, and LGBTQ people. * Zusammenfassung An inspiring and radical celebration of 70 women, girls, and nonbinary people who have changedand are still changing...

ldquo;Activist, journalist, and founder of the non-profit Equality for HER, Imani’s book is the one we need during the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements…This collection would be a welcome addition to any introductory women’s, gender, and sexuality studies course. It should also be shared among feminists and those passionate about fighting oppression based on class, disability, gender, race, and sexuality.”
– Library Journal (starred review)

“Blair Imani is an agent of social change who uses her background in grassroots activism to tell the stories of revolutionaries, both past and present, who are the catalysts of change our world so desperately needs, but you don’t have to take my word for it.”
–LeVar Burton, actor, educator, and activist
 
“Modern HERstory should be required reading for everyone.”
–Tegan and Sara
 
“Blair Imani educates readers about the HERstory of unsung heroes who work tirelessly to make the world a better place for all, while simultaneously blazing a trail of her own as a pioneer in activism for the next generation. Today, so many young women and LGBTQ people lack positive role models, and this book is an important step to inspiring the next generation of people to aim high and be proud.”
–**Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD
 
“Blair Imani has given us an encyclopedia not just of the often overlooked in history, but also of the people who are changing the direction of our country today—this is who to follow, watch, celebrate, and emulate. We need these role models and fighters—and this book!”
–Dawn Laguens, executive vice president and chief brand officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America
 
"Modern HERstory shines a remarkable light on important figures from our past, while inspiring new generations to be bold, courageous, and unafraid to stand up for what is right."
–Andrew Aydin, National Book Award–winning author of March and Run
 
“Through powerful storytelling and bright images, Blair Imani sends a clear message to next-generation activists and changemakers--this is their moment, they are the present, the now, and yes, the future. Instead of waiting to be passed the proverbial torch, the heroes in Imani's book claim their role as torchbearers whose lights are blazing inspiring trails for each of us to follow.”
–Jamia Wilson, executive director and publisher of Feminist Press
 
“I had chills while reading this entire book. THE ENTIRE BOOK. I was moved, inspired, and informed by the stories of these unbelievable people. I was also indignant: how could my history classes not have included such important pioneers?! Run out immediately and purchase multiple copies to send to your friends. I promise, they'll thank you.”
–Claire Wasserman, CEO and founder of Ladies Get Paid
 
“Changing society’s narrative often requires us to look back over our historical mosaic; admit what we got wrong; recognize who was silenced, marginalized or erased; and then reorganize and rewrite. Modern HERstory offers an inclusive approach to this kind of truth-telling.” *
–*Monica Lewinsky, anti-bullying advocate
  
“Modern HERstory is an empowering and educational read, filled with the stories of activists you should know and names that should fill our history books. In these turbulent political times, Blair Imani's first book reminds us that the change we need will only come from a coalition of activists working across differences and movements.”
–Sarah McBride, author of Tomorrow Will Be Different
 
“Blair Imani's Modern HERstory is a major contribution to the exhausting and endlessly important project of broadening our shared narrative. I wish I had a book like this growing up.”
–**Lauren Duca, award-winning journalist
 
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