As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on womanhood and how woman are moving forward over the next four years.
We spoke to Underground creator Misha Green, Toni Braxton, Tamera Mowry and more to find out what they admire most about women, lessons they’ve learned, and advice they have for women wishing to leave their mark on the world.
On what she admires most about women and what she hopes to inspire in others:
Swagger is a quality I admire most in women. In a world where we are attacked, in ways both big and small, on a daily bases, a woman who can walk through the world like she owns it is life giving. And it helps me to think of those women — Michelle Obama, Serena, Maya Angelou, my mother — when I’m feeling less than confident in my life. And if I can inspire some swag in others to be bold in their lives, even just a little bit, that’s the goal.
Her message to Black women on moving forward in today’s political climate and over the next four years:
We introduced Harriet Tubman on Underground this season, and researching her life has given me all the tools I need to survive a Trump administration. The seemingly insurmountable odds she faced and overcame freeing enslaved people doesn’t hold a candle to what we’re dealing with today. If she can do it, we can do it. We can all be Harriet Tubman’s.
Her advice to women wishing to leave their mark:
Be unapologetically yourself. Be bold. Never ask for permission. And have fun while doing it.
Braxton turns a year older on Oct. 7.
On being a woman:
I truly enjoy being a woman because we can do and be anything without exception, including the ability to create another human being. Power tools and pink nails on any given day, the possibilities are endless.
On what she admires most about women:
I admire the ambition, compassion and the resilience of the women that inspire me the most. So I hope to inspire young women to live in pursuit of their truth and trust that they are more than enough. I hope they know they can accomplish anything through hard work & discipline. Also they should never allow society’s expectations of them ,or any limitations placed them ,to deter them from believing they can achieve excellence in any and every field .
On what she’s learned from the women in her life:
What I admire most about the many women who inspire me is that despite a long history of adversity and underrepresentation, they have not only survived but have flourished. There is something deeply heroic and inspirational on a fundamental level when that which is oppressed, astonishingly blooms, Not only do these women reach greatness but they also look to shape and mold the world for the better, even for those who would seek to silence them. I hope to one day inspire the same.
On moving forward in on current political and social climate:
It would seem that now more than ever, all who identify as women need to take care of each other. Our ability to embrace any who suffer and to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, is what I believe will get us through the next four years. There is more that unites us than divides us and in that unity is strength.
On her favorite thing about being a woman:
Women have so many different facets; we are not one dimensional. Women can fix a car, change a lightbulb, fix a toilet, or do anything we set our minds to. We are mothers, wives, best friends, coworkers, and one day we will be a US President. What I love about women is that we don’t take no for an answer. We are strong mentally and can move mountains. We can really get stuff done. That’s why and how I am a mother, an actress, a wife and a talk-show host. Women are SMART. We have been given the gift of intuition and I think that is something to be proud of.
On the most important lesson she’s learned from other women:
When women get knocked down, we don’t stay down. We get right back up with the lesson we learned from that experience. Then we teach our sisters that lesson. Women have a natural instinct to help others. We always want to encourage and learn. Another thing women love to do is prove you wrong. We can and will show you that we can do it!
Her message to Black women on surviving the next four years:
Use your power for change. If something is wrong, say so and organize to make changes. Silence and being idol is the number one killer of freedom.
On leaving your mark on the world:
Make sure your actions have purpose for something greater than yourself.
