Princesses Against The Patriarchy

Women are the strongest creatures on the planet. From giving birth to the world, to risking their lives fighting for equal rights, women are the backbone of this fragile world that we live in. Women aren't just these soft and nurturing creatures. Women are also warriors, strong and battle ready, in the military, classrooms and boardrooms, and even in homes raising families. From Eartha Kit to Malala Yousafzai and all the amazing women in between there is so much to be inspired by.

Now there are many women that motivate me in life, but I wanted to start with the first women in my life to give me inspiration and those women happen to be my Mother and Grandmother. It may sound cliche to some but it's true, these women helped sculpt me into the woman that I am today. My grandmother raised five children on her own and four of them were boys so you know she had her hands full.

She may be a little stuck in her ways, but she is one of the most understanding people I have ever met. She's articulate, fashionable, graceful, and outspoken. A few traits that I believe I picked up from her. I remember watching the fashion network with her as a child and looking through the clothes and jewelry in her closets. She was the first person that made me feel like it was okay to not fit in with the crowd.

My mom was also a single mother. She raised my brother and I on her own and even though she struggled she never let it show. My mom raised me to be independent and to do things on my own, but at the same time to know that it was okay to ask for help when you needed it. I was small growing up and I grew into a small adult (I'm 5'2), but my mother taught me to be assertive and defend myself. She also taught me to be kind to everybody but to also stay on my toes because the world that we live in and the people in it could be cruel.

Music has always been a big part of my life so moving on from family ties I would like to talk about the women in the music industry that inspire me. In June 2017 I went through the worst breakup. I'm going to spare everybody the gory details of the breakup, but I fell into a depression afterwards. I lost a lot of weight, sleep, and hair, but one thing that got me through it all was music. A few days after my breakup SZA dropped her debut album Ctrl. I have to admit at first it did more bad than good.

Every song on the album reminded me of my relationship and every other man in my life that had hurt me in some way. As beautiful as the album was I had to put it on the bench for a little while, but when I came back to it I listened again with a totally different perspective. Re-listening to the album I realized that at some point I had lost control of myself, of my happiness, my peace of mind. SZA's album was the kick in the ass that I needed to push me to start my self love journey, to get my control back and, although I may have faltered a couple times, I can say with confidence that I got it back.

The next woman on my list is the enigmatic Janelle Monae, whom I would have to say is my biggest inspiration. This woman is not afraid to stand out and she embraces her individuality. Since I was young Janelle Monae has always amazed me by her courage to be who she was at all times and how she lived life by her own rules. We all suffer from insecurities and I know I had quite a few growing up and even still to this day. However, listening to the words that Monae sang in her songs helped me cope with them. Her songs helped me to accept all my flaws because they are what make me unique and there is nothing wrong with being a unicorn among a flock of sheep.

Janelle Monae makes music for the underdogs and she has taught me through her music that imperfections are true beauty. In her song 'I Like That' Monae implies that she is different and that she's secure in who she is using lines like "I'm always left of center and that's right where I belong." In another song entitled 'Q.U.E.E.N', there is a line where Janelle Monae states "even if it makes others uncomfortable I will love who I am." These are words that I have vowed to live by.

My last tribute not only goes to Cree Summer, the voice of my childhood, but all the animated heroes that have inspired me. As many of you may know Cree Summer is a voice acting legend. Well, maybe not to many, but in my book this woman is absolutely legendary. She is one of the many reasons I want to pursue creative writing. I hope to become a creator for Dream Works or Cartoon Network so that I can create stories and characters that girls of color can relate to. Somebody they can watch on television and say "Wow, she's so cool," or "I want to be just like her," or "Mommy look, the girl on TV looks like me." All the things that I said about the characters that Cree Summer's voiced.

Characters like Mulan, Princess Kida, Okoye, Guillotine, Storm, and Ryuko Matoi are just a few strong female characters that motivate me to be fierce, strong, and to stand out. I want to bring to life those same feelings for other little girls that will watch my shows. There's something about looking on a screen or in a book and seeing a face like yours. It's hard to explain, but it's a beautiful feeling.

Women will never cease to amaze me. Whether it be on a screen, in a book, or in real life they will continue to move me and many others. I'm so grateful for all of the women that have inspired me, knowingly and unknowingly. One day I hope to inspire other women the way that the women that I spoke of inspire me. I want to inspire women to conquer their insecurities and to love every inch of themselves. I feel like it's our duty as women to support and motivate other women. So if you're a woman and you're reading this go out and conquer the world because you are amazing and made of magic.