Jan. 3, 2015
15 Fiercest Sisters of 2014
Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from FierceforBlackWomen.com
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - She feeds the world. She soars over stereotypes to pirouette her way into history. She is digital. She acts up beautifully. She defends black women against “misogynoir.” She’s a genius. She calls ‘em like she sees ‘em in a burly man’s world — bad hair days be damned. She saves lives.
She is fierce.
She is among the exceptional women selected for the second annual listing of the 15 Fiercest Sisters by the readers and staff of FierceforBlackWomen.com. These 15 women epitomize the Fierce manifesto, says editor-in-chief Sheree Crute, who co-founded the online health and fitness magazine with publisher Yanick Rice Lamb.
“To be fierce is to embrace all that’s wonderful about being a black woman,” the manifesto states in part. “To live your dreams, celebrate your strengths and appreciate your true beauty. It means being confident and unapologetically you!”
Here are 15 women who fit this description and will continue to inspire others in the new year and beyond.
1. Among the influential people at the forefront of closing the digital divide, opening doors in Silicon Valley and promoting digital entrepreneurship, Angela Benton is the woman. Benton is founder and CEO of Black Web Media, which includes B20, the NewME Accelerator and the NewME Conference.
2. Misty Copeland played the lead in the American Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker,” as the Christmastime classic’s first black “Clara.” Copeland was also the first black woman to play the coveted role of Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake,” during ABT’s Australian tour. And the Washington Ballet recently announced that Copeland will reprise her lead turn in its production of “Swan Lake” next spring.
3. As the executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Ertharin Cousin leads the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a staff of more than 13,000 who feed more than 170 million hungry people in more than 83 countries.
4. Mo'ne Davis won hearts last summer during the Little League World Series. One of two girls there, the 13-year-old from Philadelphia set all sorts of records from pitching a shutout to earning a win with her 70-mph fastball.
5. Ava DuVernay, the first African-American woman to receive the Best Director Award at the Sundance Film Festival, is literally jumping for joy over the reception to her new film, Selma. The film is up for four Golden Globe Awards, DuVernay has several best director nominations and there’s already Oscar talk.
6. Stanford social psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt is a “genius” when it comes to race and criminal justice. For her research on the subtleties and depths of racial biases, she was awarded a 2014 MacArthur grant.
7. Eunique Jones Gibson has made history go viral by using her photography skills to connect children to the past. In her photos and videos, children portray pioneers ranging from the late poet Maya Angelou to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
8 & 9. In graduate school, Moya Bailey coined the term “misogynoir.” Trudy Hamilton added context through her blog, GradientLair.com. Over the past year or so, more sisters have embraced the word, using it to describe anti-black misogyny.
10. After her family members were turned away from hospitals overflowing with Ebola patients near their home in Liberia, Fatu Kekula took matters into her own hands. Using trash bags as protective gear, the nursing student saved her parents and sister.
11. Using storytelling as medicine, Mehret Mandefro, M.D., added the title filmmaker to her list of accomplishments. In 2014, her company, Truth Aid, produced the award-winning film Difret, based on the bride kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl in Ethiopia.
12. For some New Yorkers, Chirlane McCray represents a modern First Lady for modern times — one who speaks her mind, remains true to herself and stands on her own while working in tandem with her husband of 20 years, Mayor Bill de Blasio.
13. Lupita Nyong’o won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 12 Years a Slave and has helped black girls recognize their beauty. Up next are roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Americanah, based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s acclaimed novel. Nyong’o optioned the film rights for Americanah and will co-produce with Brad Pitt.
14. Pam Oliver is a football fan favorite — not just for her sports chops, but also for being a class act. She's been praised for taking the high road when Fox Sports placed Erin Andrews in the No. 1 sideline reporting spot covering the NFL that Oliver held for two decades.
15. Michele Roberts has been shaking up things in her new role as executive director of the NBA Players Union — the first woman in such a role in North America. She’s ready to battle over salary caps, minimum ages, revenue splits and other issues to make sure that players get a fair deal in their next agreement with the NBA.