Throughout history, women have had the short-end of the stick. Silenced, shadowed and forgotten, many women gave up the idea of becoming someone memorable. Even so, many women throughout their time never gave up, they spoke out about the problems of the world and the beauties of it as well. These women have become the backbone and inspiration for other young ladies in pursuit of making a name for themselves. As senior Daniella Duran says, “Some female writers had stories I could relate to so knowing that others had similar struggles was nice, but I think it mostly affects me because female writers don’t gain a lot of recognition so seeing women finally get seen because of their writing being actually read and criticized for their work and not just because they’re a woman made me happy especially since women in general have struggled to get recognition for their work and the things they do.” So, here is a list of women that have broken down the limits of writing and become an inspiration for all.

Margaret Atwood: (Nov.19, 1939~)

   A woman that could be very recognizable for her books, Margaret Atwood is a woman of many words that could open up the eyes of many. With her most famous and best seller book, Handmaid Tales, she spoke about the future if people considered women as producers and not human. This book raised a lot of talk about women equality and misogynistic tendencies that can create a skewed society with no escape. Other than Handmaid Tales, Margaret Atwood has published many astounding books, essays, novels and more poems like The Testaments, The Blind Assassin, The Edible Woman and many more fantastic stories that have led her to success. She’s not only an amazing writer but an environmental activist who strives for a better world that is healthy, happy and peaceful. 

Emily Dickinson : (Dec. 10. 1830-May 15, 1886)

   A lady that was hidden for many years until her death, Emily Dickinson was an amazing and brilliant American poet that took a new approach to poems. Due to her being a woman, she never had the same advancements as the men around her, but that never stopped her from writing her truth, speaking of death as a person that is kind and how nature is delicate. One of her most well known works was Hope, a poem about the word hope and the deep meaning behind it, how it is beautiful and the one thing that can outlast the most difficult situations. She was a woman of many words that always wrote about the things and places around her. Though she was silenced in her time, her work is a prime example of imagery and unconventionality and is known for being bold, different and personal. 

Rita Dove: (August 28, 1952~)

   A woman of great esteem and amazing poet, Rita Dove has shown that anything is possible with passion, commitment and hard work. Becoming the first African American to serve as a poet laureate of the United States was, she is a high level writer and poet, holding the chair of Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia. She has always had a supporting team with her father being the first African American chemist of a tire industry, Dove blew away highschool and was named a Presidential Scholar in college. Her most well known poem being “Thomas and Beulah”, discussing her mother’s grandparents, earned a Pulitzer Prize. This is one of many poems she wrote that talked about her struggles of her personal life, but even with her struggles she became someone that is highly valued and recognized as a brilliant poet.

Zadie Smith: (Oct. 25, 1975~)

   Famously known for her witty and eccentric writing, Zadie Smith has become well known and very popularized because of her sharp and intelligent humor in writing. Moreover, she writes about race, religion and cultural identity presenting them in her characters that deal with many of the hardships African American people face everyday. She varies in writing styles, continuing to surprise and amuse her audience, while her most famous book is White Teeth, she has written many novels and books that have represented African Americans as a whole. None of this inspiration could have happened , without the tragic passing of her father, she commonly speaks about her writing as something that helped her escape and something she wanted to do. She is a woman that has resonated in many young black girls and is an inspiration for all. 

Zora Neale Hurston: (Jan. 7, 1891- Jan. 28 1960)

   The woman that started it all, creating a generation of powerful African American writers, Zora Neale Hurston is one of most famous and  influential AA writers of all time. In the time of discrimination and backlash on black people in America, a new age of powerful black abolitionists created a city that strived for the excellence and intelligence of AA people, one of these abolitionists was none other than Zora Neale Hurston. She wrote about the struggles and difficulties that many AA people went through, as well as the beauty and unity that AA people hold in a time of difference and separation. One of her most famously published books is, Their Eyes Were Watching God, where it explains the power of love, money and self-worth is nothing against God and Nature.  She is the backbone for many people, especially AA people, to keep writing and expressing themselves. She is the main reason today that people have the courage to write, learn and educate themselves, she is the inspiration. 

Harper Lee: (Apr. 28, 1926-Feb. 19, 2016)

   Last but not least, Harper Lee, the woman that created the infamously famous book, To Kill a Mockingbird. A civil rights activist, many of her works (which were two official published books) were to talk about the extreme prejudice and racism that took place in Southern America in a time of the civil rights movement. As a white woman, she used the one privilege she could to talk about the struggles and discrimination that AA people face, she used her words. She is a lady of great power, and though “To Kill a Mockingbird” is banned in many schools, it speaks great volumes and helps understand many problems that happened throughout history. 

   This is just a few of many women writers that have used their voice as a way to connect and inspire different audiences. One person that has been inspired by these writers is senior Hailey Cajigas. “Pretty much women show their side of the story and it affected history because now people hear things from a woman’s perspective and not just a man’s,” she says. “I feel like I can finally relate to something.” Women today still struggle to make themselves known but they still have a chance thanks to the women that have paved the way for them.