The Nineteenth

Here we are ... the final posting. I can't believe it has come to the end. But I know the experience is not over, the research is continuing, and the exemplary women of the USA are continuing. It is fantastic. Thanks for joining my journey. Can't wait to see what I can drum up next! As I come to the end of this project, I am reflecting on so many things I have learned, shared and built upon. Two years ago I was inspired by a novel to look around me at the people of our country, recognizing the achievements, passions, and struggles that women from around the country have dealt with throughout our history. The country we are today would not be the same without the women that worked hard, often without reward or recognition. They stood up for the people, using their natural abilities to be stronger than those around them. Some notable women didn’t act the way I would have hoped or in a way I agreed with. But they acted. They didn’t step aside. They didn’t wait for someone else to

A leader in an American community that is commonly overlooked, Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz is a growing, strong woman that will insist that Puerto Rico is not forgotten. She may bring Puerto Rico into statehood, and I hope to see that day with her at the helm. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. Serving as the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico since 2013, Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz has dealt with significant issues within her country, and she is the current candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico. Mayor Cruz graduated Cum Laude from Boston University and received a Master of Science in Public Management and Policy at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Her service and contributions were a significant part of her life, earning the Spirit Award. She quickly went into politics of her country, winning her first election in 2008, and elevating her to the Ranking Member of the Woman Affairs Committee. She gained support for each of her elections and w

Washington D.C. may not have official statehood, nor do they have representation in Congress or the Senate, but they are a wealth of revolutionary women with stories to tell. Noor Al-Hussein, Queen Dowager of Jordan, has two degrees of separation from me! Can you believe it! If I met her, I could say, "Do you remember Jon Pettit?" She may say no. But I could ask.  Washington D.C. is not a state, but the actions of the country in this year during our quarantine has moved the needle more than ever before. Per Wikipedia, " On June 26, 2020, the House of Representatives passed the D.C. Statehood Act 232–180 largely along party lines; ...  It is not expected to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.  It was the first time statehood was ever approved by either chamber." Maybe we will be entering a time when we have a union of 51 states. After we talk again next week, maybe we can convince the Country to be 52. Born Lisa Najeeb Halaby, her father was an aide to the US Secr