If I could write down every mother, grandmother, aunt, stepmother, or any woman who extended her heart and hand to a person in need, I would write for a lifetime. Being a mother is an experience filled with fulfillment, joy, and sacrifice, and every one who entails the journey deserves the world. Personally, I know there isn’t a day that goes by where I need guidance from one of the many moms in my life.
Throughout history and the world, we have had numerous women who have sacrificed themselves in order to birth someone or something great, and in the words of Tupac, “You are appreciated”.
In the spirit of May, Hollywood Learning Centers put together five revolutionary moms in history who have not only contributed to their respected children, but also to society.
1) Ann Maria Jarvis:
Mrs. Jarvis is known for being the creator of Mother’s Day. A super mom who understood the importance of mothers being healthy. She worked hard to begin the Mother’s Day Work Clubs in 1858 to improve health and sanitation conditions in an effort to prevent infant mortality. During the Civil War, the organization nursed soldiers from both sides, becoming a symbol of neutrality.
In an effort to create a peaceful post civil war lifestyle, Jarvis called to action to create a “Mother’s Friendship Day.” After she passed in 1905, her daughter Anna Jarvis made it her mission to get an official Mother’s Day created, which she did.
2) Michelle Obama:
Most mom try their best to guide their kids so they grow up living healthy lives. First Lady Michelle Obama is no exception, making it her responsibility to have the whole country eat healthier, starting with children. Working hard to stress the importance of education for girls all over the world and enforcing a healthy initiative through the “Let’s Move!” program, Michelle Obama is one of the many revolutionary mother figures in this country. She is able to balance many tasks while being a mother to two girls. For all she has done for our country, I am sure she will be missed and she will always be a part of history.
3) Harriet Tubman:
Soon we will be able to see her on a 20 dollar bill, and this is just one aspect of Harriet Tubman’s revolutionary persona. As the face of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman fearlessly lead more than 300 slaves to freedom and became an icon of the Civil Rights Movement.
Tubman spent the rest of her life as an abolitionist and humanitarian. She was strong and fearless and she helped send many to their deserved freedom; in a sense she is the mother to many, giving them a new deserved life.
4) Marie Curie:
Scientist, wife, and mother of two, Marie Curie was a true Renaissance woman. Redefining what it meant to be a mother and wife in her times, she is most famously known for her research in radioactivity and discovering the elements polonium and radium.
In 1903, Curie became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and later on was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes and the first female professor at the University of Paris. Can we say revolutionary?
5) Fatima Marin:
This last woman might not have impacted history, a nation or even an entire city, but she has and continues to devote herself to her daughters and each and every child in Hollywood Learning Centers of First Presbyterian Church. She makes sure children feel loved, parents at peace and her staff content in a working environment full of love and respect. She defies the norm by implementing extraordinary extracurricular activities, always finding the best companies to partner up with and improving year after year.
Every mother in her own way is revolutionary. Motherhood is a journey in which no one is sure of what it will entail. It’s something new everyday.
This list should be never ending, but it does serve justice to mothers everywhere because each of these revolutionary moms highlight certain aspects of motherhood. If you can, take the time today to recognize the revolutionary moms in your life.