Strong Black Women In History - my muses

 

Strong women in history. This post should be a slam dunk for Women’s history month. Yet somehow, the subject was a hard one for me. Then my thoughts went to two women I had already written about. 

 

The first was a strong woman named Clara Belle Williams. She raised three strong sons who not only fought America’s enemies in World War II, they each became prominent physicians who helped change the world of medicine by fighting against segregated medical schools and hospitals that employed discriminatory practices with Black patients.

 
Clara Belle Williams has been honored with a spot in the teacher’s hall of fame (yes, she not only raised three sons, she was also their elementary school teacher in a one room schoolhouse in New Mexico). She was the first Black student to receive a BA from the University of New Mexico were she majored in English. Decades later, the University handed her an honorary doctorate because of  her contributions to humanity, and named their English building after her.

 

She actually deserves her own book, to be more than just the parent of the hero of my upcoming book, Unlawful Orders.  She was the real inspiration for the book, learning about Clara Belle during Woman's History Month five years ago led me to er sons. She lived to be 108,  with more than enough accomplisments to fill four lives.

PS, patients at the Chicago clinic her doctor sons founded all called her “Grandma.”

Bessie Coleman was another strong woman, one that is the central figure of my new work-in-progress, tentatively titled Fill The Air With Black Wings. Bessie never had the chance to become a mother, shew died in a plane crash at the age of thirty four.  But she was a beloved aunt to the children of her many siblings. She wanted to make sure they had the kind of family life she never had as a child.

From penniless southern girl to Chicago South Side celebrity. America’s future Queen Bess started out with two strikes against her. She was a woman, and she had both Black and Native American heritage - Choctaw and Cherokee. Bessie was black, with Native American heritage, and female—all of which placed her in the lowest rung of perceived social classes of the day.

But Bessie was the little girl who always knew she would become someone special. As an adult she decided to achieve that goal by doing the near impossible and becoming a pilot.  In the days before Amelia Earhardt, Bessie Coleman became the first Black American and Native American woman to obtain a pilot's license, although she had to travel to France to find a flight school that would agree to teach her.  

This was in the 1920's, and planes were made out of cardboard, cloth, wires and pressed wood.  Pilots flew war surplus planes and made money by barnstorming, entertaining crowds with tricks like barrel rolls or wing walking.  The life was only for the very brave.  Bessie grew into one of the top pilots of the day, in constant demand to appear in air shows across the US. And she had the power to insist her audiences be integrated.

Back in America, she was sought after by wealthy American businessmen and an African prince. She enjoyed being romanced and welcomed their company, but apparently had no intention of settling down as a wife. Perhaps that decision was related to watching her parents seperate when she was nine.  Besides, she had a goal. She planed to use her lecturing to interest youth in aviation, and to make enough money to fund an American flight school that would accept Black students. 

Unfortunately, she died in a plane crash just when she was on the verge of accomplishing that goal. But she did become someone who inspired generations of future flyers, including her nephew who grew up to fly combat missions in World War II.

The Invisible Women in Our History

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction with light paranormal elements. My stories show you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with this support, you make choices to overcome the darkest nights and choose love and light.

This month’s theme is about strong women in literature and history. As you can see by the title to this post, I am focusing on the nameless, faceless, invisible women who made the life I live today possible.

Of course I’d heard of Cromwell. Recently I heard his wife mentioned. Bad of me but I do not remember her name. What I do remember is that over the years Oliver was politicking, his wife ran their estate. Under her management it grew and prospered. So much for the myth that women were incapable of anything of merit such as voting, owning property, etc. 

And actually, while it isn’t given much attention, the running of the house which, in the aristocracy, could mean overseeing 100’s if not thousands of servants fell to the wife as did all aspects of entertaining, etc. Even for the tenant farmers, shopkeepers, etc., the wife ran the house, prepared the meals unless they had help, and when needed, helped with planting, harvesting or whatever needed doing.

On a more personal note on my mother’s side of the family (the Rawson’s), the US linage goes back to the 1600’s. Edward Rawson arrived on the second ship from England so while he wasn’t on the Mayflower, he wasn’t far behind. However many generations later, here I am which speaks to a name and face that isn’t mentioned, his wife. A Mrs. Rawson must have existed but there is no commemorative plaque or tree or park or building with her name on it. (Yes, Edward, who was the 1^st Secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony has a commemorative plaque).

Fast forward to Minnesota. My maternal grandparents lived in a small town, Faribault. My grandfather, Ralph, was born there but moved to Seattle after school. My grandmother, Grace, followed. They married and eventually moved to Oregon.

Lots of years, actually about 200, between Edward and Ralph!

While we can trace the family roots back to Edward and from there back to England and from there back to William (1066) and thus Normandy and thus back to Charlemagne, all the celebrated names are male. So while they were conquering, governing, preaching (yes, even an Archbishop of Canterbury on the family tree), who was keeping house, raising the next generation? On our genealogy charts, the wives have names as well as date of birth and date of death and that’s about it. Husbands have a profession or something that they Did like serve in the Wars as well as being an Archbishop.

And how did they get from Massachusetts to Minnesota? No planes, trains or automobiles in the 1700. Walking or perhaps, if one was lucky a wagon or cart.

I looked through at least 50 pictures and couldn't even find one
that showed women or children walking alongside the wagons.

Can you imagine being pregnant and walking a thousand miles?

Can you imagine morning sickness and walking a thousand miles? Oh and at the end of the day, you are cooking over a campfire, managing any children, cleaning up and accepting any amorous attentions your husband might have.

What about giving birth on the trail?

And what if you are a descendant of a family who walked from St. Louis to  Oregon or California, any even longer trip?

Boggles my mind!

Personally, I know I am the daughter of Jean, the granddaughter of Grace, the great granddaughter of Jane. Farther back than that I don’t readily have the names. However, the Rawson family is full of historians and I do have a copy of the family tree going back to Charlemagne. Of course it stops in the late 1800’s but I can fill it in from there.

On my father’s side, I am the granddaughter of Ester. Nothing further back on that side of the family tree. When it comes to aunts and uncles, I can do a bit better – after all I am named for my Aunt Ashley Vivian.

How far back do you know your family’s history?

How much do you know about their lives?

What about your DNA? Are you genetically who you thought you were? I always thought I was Danish as my paternal grandfather emigrated from Denmark between WWI and WWII. However, my DNA shows No Danish but it does show Swedish! And because of that I learned there was an influx of Swedish immigration to Denmark 500 years ago.

Whether you do the research to put names and faces to the women in your family’s past, please consider thanking them for the struggles and challenges they overcame so you could be here now.

Read my Sacred Women’s Circle series to learn more about every day women and the struggles and challenges they overcome to find unconditional love.

My Staying Sane in a Crazy World, provides you with a template to create your Personal Staying Sane Plan to help you through the challenging times.

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