People are amazing. We are complicated. We create Beauty. We have flaws. We move culture forward, sometimes despite ourselves. Here's to the dance.
Nasrin Soutoudeh
Human Rights Lawyer, Activist
Iran
Nasrin is an internationally renowned human rights lawyer who was recently jailed in Iran for defending women protesting against the Islamic Republic’s mandatory hijab. Nasrin Sotoudeh has dedicated her life to defending women’s rights and speaking out against the death penalty.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/opinion/iran-nasrin-sotoudeh.html
Rachel Carson
Marine Biologist, Author, and Conservationist
America
Rachel was an influential environmental scientist who became central to American politics, culture and foreign policy in the 19060’s. Her book, “Silent Spring,” warned of the dangers of pesticides and chemicals to humans, plants, and animals, and was a landmark in the nation’s environmental history.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/26/the-right-way-to-remember-rachel-carson
Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin
Social Impact Entrepreneur
Nigeria
Abisoye is the founder of GirlsCoding, an NGO that teaches girls how to code, design and build websites that help solve problems in their communities.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Journalist, Author, Women's Suffrage Advocate, and Conservationist
America
The namesake of the high school in Parkland, Florida where seventeen students and staff members were murdered in a mass shooting last year, Marjory was a fierce advocate for the conservation of the Everglades and has been cited as an inspiration to the students who have been at the forefront of the fight for sensible gun control laws.
Six Unsung Heroines of the Civil Rights Movement
Civil Rights Activists
America
These six courageous women may not be widely known but were key organizers and activists in the fight for Civil Rights.
https://www.history.com/news/six-unsung-heroines-of-the-civil-rights-movement
Greta Thunberg
Climate Change Activist
Sweden
Greta is a teen activist who has inspired hundreds of thousands of students at schools around the world to hold strikes in an effort to urge their leaders to act.
http://time.com/5551172/climate-greta-thunberg-nobel-nominated/
Vidana Shiva
Scholar, Environmental Activist, and Food Sovereignty Advocate
India
Vidana is a physicist, ecologist, activist, editor, and author of numerous books. She is the founder of Navdanya, a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmers’ rights. She is also the founder and director of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy.
Rene Denfeld
Author, Journalist, and Licensed Investigator
America
Rene is an American author whose work is inspired by her time working with sex trafficking victims and innocents in prison.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Feminist, Author, Scholar, and Former Politician
America
Ayaan is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist who has received international attention as a critic of Islam and advocate for the rights and self-determination of Muslim women, actively opposing forced marriage, honor violence, child marriage and female genital mutilation.
https://www.theahafoundation.org/ayaan-hirsi-ali-founder-of-the-aha-foundation/
