Assignment 2

Women’s rights for centuries have and continue to be a controversial topic here, in the United States and in many nations abroad. Women have fought for the right to live; vote, chose and hundred of other human given rights that other have and take for granted. Women have been part of politics since politics were introduces into society. Women have formed movements to help combat those who choose to see woman as objects and second-class rather than for what they are, women, mothers, sisters, wife and most importantly human beings. Movements have allowed women to break away from society role and become who they want to be, individuals. Such movements have also given women the right to choose and the right to speak out on their choices. These movements have allowed women to become closer to other women and they have allowed women to have a great and powerful impact on history.

If I were given the opportunity to construct or choose the ideal figurehead for the Women’s rights from 2009 going forward, I would choose a woman. I would choose a woman of mixed race, a woman with a White father and a Mexican mother. This combination is very important, for it gives this woman a light complexion, and the “White” which symbolizes power in our society. I would also see that she was of light complexion, which is attractive to the majority of society thus allowing her acceptance easily embraced. Her Mexican mother would help in giving her the minority vote, which will allow many women from Latin culture and second and third world countries to embrace her humble upbringing. This woman would be in her early thirties, thus making her young and attractive to the eye yet giving her a bit of life experience in discussing women issues. This woman would have an independence view in politics; this would allow her to take stand in liberal and conservative issues as an individual. She would be a Christian women with Christian believes, thus allowing her to relate to many around the world those of Christian faith and non-Christian faiths as well. She would also be married with two children a little boy and a little girl.

I think that it would be beneficially to the Women’s right movement to have such women as their icon. I think that women need someone that they can relate, someone that they can understand and someone that they can respect and allow to represent them as a woman. Women would benefit from such icon because women and men alike would respect this icon because she represents a lot of “us” as people. She is a white, minority, Christian, a wife, mother and s woman.

I would like to think that such icon would not have pitfalls but in all reality, we all do. The pitfall that I think this icon would have is being a Christian and this is because religious does not mix with politics. Many would take this great attribute and would belittle it in pursuit of dismantling such icon. People would not be ready to have such icon hold such power of authority such in the case of Claudette Colvin. Claudette Colvin who was one of many who said, “No” during Martin Luther King era and segregation times. Claudette, who was also one who refused to give up her seat because she was of color to those who were not ready to hear what she had to say during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. People where not ready to hear from Claudette maybe because she was not part of the middle class or simply because she was too early for her time.

I think that Claudette Colvin did not have as big of an impact as Rosa Park because of her social status. She was not part of the middle class and many would not listen to her because she was of the lower class. Rosa Park was in fact part of the middle class and had more connections then Claudette Colvin. History happens or is given a chance to happen when people are ready or have courage to hear or fight for it. For example, the piece written by Young or Crenshaw, they both write about women who were willing to fight for what is right, their freedom to be women. Claudette Colvin might have not made the headline but I am sure without a doubt she put the fear in those who did not see her as a women, black American woman and gave the doorway to the other who followed such as Rosa Parks.