Cuz girls will be girls.
“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”
-Gloria Steinem
We are….
A woman at a Black Lives Matter protest
Power Rearranged is a student-led feminist organization that aims to empower people of all genders, sexualities, races, and ethnicities through the power of storytelling. The roots of our beliefs date back to the start of human civilization, back to the stories around the bonfires. Everything humanity has achieved proves one thing: we are better united. We are better when we are empathetic, emotional, fully-human storytellers. We are better when we are equal. A lot has changed since then, except this.
…what we believe.
We also happen to be feminists who think it’s high time for change.
Oh, you are too? Perfect!
Why?…
But that’s the thing. We are not a piece of land to conquer. We are not objects to possessed, or to be possessive over. We are not porcelain to be kept on a shelf. We are humans with stories to tell, and mortal beings with infinite potential for immortal dreams. So, until we can change the way we look at ourselves, we will continue to spiral in the same oppressive cycle. Our children shouldn’t have to hear stories about the delicate flowers who are only vicious when tearing each other down. They should learn to lift each other up. They should know that they can accomplish anything.
Women supporting each other
(Photo credit: Chris Murray)
Girls are forced to be insecure. It’s the status quo. We look into the mirror, thinking, “I wish I were like her”. I wish I were special, beautiful, the top .0001%. That’s what patriarchy does. It makes us compete with each other, become each other’s enemies. It divides and conquers.
Women facing new beginnings.
(Photo credit: Karl Magnuson)
However small, each one of us becoming a feminist is a step in the right direction. And a surprisingly rebellious one.
…Cuz girls will be girls.
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”
— Maya Angelou
Women have been around for millennia. And from the beginning, they have been inspiring each other to greater heights. Every victory that is achieved by one woman is a victory for all of womankind. We hate to say “We told you so”, but…
…we told you so, patriarchy.
Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) was central in the discovery of the double helix (the structure of the DNA). However, her research was given little credit.
Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000) was an American actress and an inventor. Lamarr had co-invented the frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology, something that is used in Wifi technology today. She received little to no credit for her genius. Apparently, people thought it best that she “…stand still and look pretty”.
Patsy Mink (1927 - 2002) was a third generation Japanese - American attorney. She fought to have many racist and sexist practices to be outlawed after facing immeasurable discrimination. She also became the first Asian-American woman to be elected into Congress. She paved the way for many women of color for generations to come.
Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was an extremely famous Mexican painter. She was ahead of her time, exploring the ideas of gender and class. She was also known for her bold fashion choices.
Ok seriously? Do we really need an explanation for Beyoncé? FINE. Beyoncé might be who she is now, but she single-handedly paved the way for herself and countless other colored, independent, single ladies who must get in formation to defeat patriarchy (puns intended).
If you don’t know who Scarlett Johansson is, you need to go find out right now. Right. Now. She has taken Hollywood by a storm, in an industry where women have to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously. As an actor, entrepreneur and mother, she has shown the critics that anything can be done, if you want it badly enough.
Here are some of the many who have inspired our dreams to the greatest of heights…
Bold is an understatement when it comes to describing Lilly Singh. Not only did she make YouTube videos at a time when no one did, but she also talked about things that no one talked about. She taught us that as girls, we have every right to bold and to truly be ourselves.
What kind of rock have you been living under if you don’t know who Lizzo is? She is the definition of bad**s. She is the epitome of self-love. She showed us that the world sucks and the truth might hurt, but we just have to keep doing it like a girl (puns intended).
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, is serving as the US Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district. She is the youngest woman to have served in Congress, taking office at 29. Ocasio-Cortez started out as bartender and waitress who saw that changes needed to be made, so she did what she had to do so she could make them herself.
Maria Tallchief (1925-2013) had faced immeasurable discrimination because of her Native American heritage. She, however, never letting that stop her, revolutionized ballet as we know it today.
Rukhmabai Raut (1864-1955) was way ahead of her time. She is a feminist icon, who became the first female physician in India, a country that was very patriarchal. She was also found a way to reach the Queen of England to receive a divorce from her husband, whom she had been married to as a child.
A graduate of Princeton and Harvard, Michelle Obama has worked hard all her life. During her time in the White House, she strongly advocated for nutrition, healthy eating, poverty awareness, physical exercise and so many other worthy causes. She has set an example to girls all over the world, showing that anything you want has to be achieved through your own labor.
“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.”
-Emma Watson
We have the privilege of being here only because countless women made it possible for us.
We are here to continue their work, to inspire the next generation of girls. Women have come a long way, but we are far from equal, generations away.