Black History Month

What Leslie Jones was saying on SNL last week really hit home with me. Just like her, the things I remember learning in school during Black History Month didn't go much beyond "I have a dream" and George Washington Carver. Why didn't we learn about the AMAZING women that the movie Hidden Figures is based on? Regardless of race, as a female who wasn't super into math, this could have been incredibly encouraging to me.

Last year, the NY Times published an interactive "Unpublished Black History" of never before seen photos from different moments in black history. It's a fascinating. Check it out. 

Marching in Seattle

I was blown away to know that MILLIONS of people around the world were marching on Saturday- as far away as Africa and Antartica! Teresa and I joined the march in Seattle, along with Teresa's mom, aunt, a couple of dear friends and FIONA!

After I got home from the march, I spent a couple of hours scrolling through social media, and was amazed to see the range of people from all different parts of my life who had been marching with me. One of my first babysitters was there, so was a young woman I babysat when I was in college! There were people I'd grown up with, women who have mentored me, friends who brought their mothers and grandmothers, pastors, church groups, doctors and nurses, stay at home moms, cancer survivors, sexual assault survivors, and so many kids! Just within the sampling of people I personally know who marched, I can tell you they represent a variety of voices and opinions, politics and religious views but regardless, they were all there together.

I marched as a way to recognize my privilege, and to stand strong with people who don't have the same privileges that I do. I marched to point out these inequalities. I marched because I can, because I'm thankful to live in a country where peaceful protesting is a protected right. And I marched wearing my "Healthcare is a human right" shirt, because that is something I wholeheartedly believe.

To the people who are reading this with curiosity or opposition, who voted for Trump, or just don't think American women have anything to complain about, I encourage you to read this. I also encourage you to reach out to me, or someone you know who participated and have a conversation. Really, you are part of the reason I marched, so people would see me and ask why I was there. To be completely honest, not too long ago, I would have been right there with you, wondering what people were complaining about and maybe even a little fearful of this thing that I didn't understand. As I've traveled across the country, and even to other parts of the city I live in, my understanding continues to change and my compassion continues to grow as I hear and see how America is a very different place for people who weren't born with the same privileges as me.

Like I said above, so many different views were represented in the massive sea of people marching. One of my friends who marched shared this on her social media today and many people I know who were at the march in D.C. have voiced that they didn't agree with everything that was being said by speakers there.

Here's a smattering of some of my favorite signs I saw along the way.

Of all the signs, this was my favorite and the most important. We can't just march and say we made a difference. We have to keep going.

"Many White Women Marched. Now What?" This is exactly what we should be asking ourselves, and answering.

Here's what march organizers suggest.


PS.  Shoutout to our amazing friend Brittany who knitted hats for us!

Jacqueline Kennedy: White House Tour

Did you know that New Year's Day used to be an open house at the White House? Really! Anyone could come in and shake the president's hand. If you've got a free hour, this is a lovely tour of the White House, filled with fun facts and history all in Jacqueline Kennedy's soft and sophisticated voice.

PS. Yes, I know I'm a huge dork for finding things like this super interesting. But seriously, this is a first lady we can all pick up some decorating tips from.

Via Huffington Post

Titanic, a True Story

For a moment in 8th grade, I was really, really cool. Why? Because we had to do family history reports the month after Titanic came out and my great great aunt was on the ship when it sank.

1912 Titanic book, Jack and Rose aren't mentioned...

I don't know if you recall, but 8th grade is still sort of a time period where some people have a hard time discerning between real and make-believe. I'm pretty convinced that some girls in my class believed that somehow my great great aunt knew Leonardo DiCaprio and that he, or his character Jack rather, was actually on the ship with her.

Anna Sjoblom, my great grandmother's sister, was coming over from Finland to join her dad who had already immigrated to the US. Anna's 18th birthday was April 14, 1912, the day the boat hit the iceberg! Anna didn't speak English, so there was a lot of confusion for her, thankfully one of her travel companions was able to help her understand what was happening. The third class cabins were actually gated off from the rest of the ship. That was normal for all ocean liners of the day,as third class passengers had to go through health inspections at Ellis Island and other passengers did not. It is speculated that they were kept locked when the boat hit the iceberg since the crew knew there wouldn't be enough lifeboats for everyone. You see this in the movie as Jack and Rose are trying to make it to the deck. Anna and her friends actually had a similar experience and had to really scramble to get up there. They broke a window climbed up a deck, running through the second and first class accommodations. When they reached the main deck it was so chaotic that Anna was separated from her friends. Thankfully, a crew member grabbed her and  shoved her into a lifeboat.  When it was being lowered down, a man wearing a dress jumped off of the sinking ship, landing on top of her in the lifeboat. Most of the lifeboats were only taking women and children so he attempted a disguise to escape. For the rest of her life she suffered back problems, but she was lucky to have survived. Of the four people she started the journey with in Finland, she was the only one to make it to New York.

Oddly enough, another survivor that Anna traveled west with after arriving in New York on the Carpathia, survived the wreck like Rose in the movie. He spent 6 hours floating on a door before being rescued.

Tomorrow, April 14th, is the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic hitting the iceberg (technically it sank in the early hours of April 15th) and would have been Anna's 118th Birthday.

Anna died in 1975, so I never got to meet her. Even before the movie came out, I had been interested in her story and loved hearing about her from my grandma. It seems Anna didn't talk about her experience very often but passing through first class to get to the lifeboats had definitely made an impression on her and my grandma recalled Anna bringing that up occasionally. Even as the ship was sinking, she had been amazed by the grandeur of it all.

Picture above is Anna and my great grandmother in 1917.

Happy International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day to you!

10 great ways to celebrate the day

History of the day with great art and historical photos

TED Talks by some women I admire: Caroline Casey, JK Rowling, Sheryl Sandberg, Sheryl WuDunn, Elizabeth Gilbert, Madeline Albright, Isabel Allende

And a poem for you from Maya Angelou:

Phenomenal Woman

BY MAYA ANGELOU

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   

But when I start to tell them,

They think I’m telling lies.

I say,

It’s in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,   

The stride of my step,   

The curl of my lips.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,   

That’s me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,   

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.   

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.   

I say,

It’s the fire in my eyes,   

And the flash of my teeth,   

The swing in my waist,   

And the joy in my feet.   

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered   

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can’t touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,   

They say they still can’t see.   

I say,

It’s in the arch of my back,   

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.   

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.   

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,   

The bend of my hair,   

the palm of my hand,   

The need for my care.   

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.