Beautiful minds inspire others..

What defines an empowering woman?

For years I have asked myself what kind of woman will I grow up to be. I have lacked in the area of female friends, but I must say that I have crossed paths with some very intelligent, strong, and empowering women. It is true to say that as women, we face many inequalities in this country. We live in a world in which male dominance is an actual thing that is dealt with on a day to day basis. Men are expected to be dominant in many different cross sectors of society. It is up to us women, to take a stand and motivate each other on a daily basis.

Sadly, this generation has the tendency to continuously bash one another. Women don’t stand together most of the time, instead, they would rather send negative vibes and talk down on each other.

On that note, this blog is to be more of an interactive and informative blog post. I have contacted multiple women in the city of Rochester, NY for advice. I also contacted women who have their own blogs in which have inspired me in any shape or form. These women who will be mentioned are women who continuously provide other women with a safe haven: positive messages , feelings & vibes. Feel free to reach out to these women, ask questions, support them, and take in their words of wisdom.

Roselyn Cabral:

“A New York City raised Latina who is living up her 20 somethings. Roselyn is intrigued by the glitz and glam of the fashion industry. She hopes to use this platform to shine light and build the bridge between brands, creatives, and entrepreneurs. She plans on expressing herself by exposing her fashion expertise with the use of her personal inspirations and originality. She enjoys creating content to later inspire others to step out of their comfort zone. Because who wouldn't want to walk into a room and cause chaos!”

Roselyn owns a blog on women’s fashion, in where she shares her passion with others on trending styles and fun / affordable ways to achieve many of the looks that most of us would love to achieve! On her blog, she sends out positive messages that are empowering and meant to help build on one’s self esteem! She provides women of all shapes and sizes with great advice on the go-to styles that are most trending alongside beautiful pictures of herself rocking the styles so that the viewer can capture the look! Trust me, she definitely has inspired me on a lot of my “to go out” fashion looks! Roselyn also has featured small business owners who have their own clothing lines, mainly established in her hometown city of New York.

Blog: www.chaoshoney.com

IG: murdersherose

Aizha Imani:

“Hey, my name is Aizha! I am a blogger on TheFreckledMuse.com. I work with my team and we host a radio show every Friday, The Muse Report. I'm a communications major at MCC. I'm alllllll about women empowerment, diversity and cultural growth. When it comes to women coming together and helping each other prosper in personal and business aspects, it helps mold solid foundations for our younger generations. Our children. I was a young mother and for the mothers out there who can relate, I don't feel as if it defeated me. It took some time to find myself and figure out my path but once I knew, I knew. I took my interests and dreams and began to put them into perspective and it was my bestfriend who sat me down to have the talk about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and how she could be of any help. She helped me to use my strengths to an advantage (writing/speaking) and actually helped me network with people who could only help me grow. Moral of the story: do not give up. Never ever give up. Your dreams are never too far out of reach and no one can stop you but you. I had a million obstacles and it could've stopped me but who would I be if let it?”

Blog: www.TheFreckledMuse.com

IG: aizha__

Darrika Sides:

“I am Darricka N. Sides. I am a proud 21 year old Afro-European, raised by my mother due to the physical absence of my father, who was failed by our justice system and wrongfully sentenced 27 to life for a crime be didn't commit. I went to SOTA as a Pianist, graduated from Greece Olympia, attended MCC for a year before deciding to join the Worlds Greats Air Force (USAF)! I love every bit of supporting, motivating & empowering those around me, and most of all spreading love & Peace everywhere GOD takes me!

Each one Teach one. The most powerful things in life are trust & love. Not only for yourself but for those around you. When you grow to love yourself you become confident & trusting in yourself/your journey causes you to be content with where you have been, where you are going but most of all with where you are in the present! Things are easier said than done. Nevaa be afraid to get it done. When you really want something you fight for it until you get it so fight for yourself & STOP sleeping on who you are and will be 💖”

IG: darrickas_

Eliany Socas:

My name is Eliany Socas, I am from Cuba. I came to America thanks to my parents winning the "Lottery" in Cuba. The Lottery in my country is a ticket to bring your family to America and start a better life away from the communism and corruption of Cuba. We came to Rochester with nothing but our clothes on our backs, ever since, we have been working hard to live a comfortable life. My parents explained to my sister and I that here in America we actually have a chance to thrive and do something with our lives. After graduating from Wilson magnet high school I attended MCC and transfered to St. John Fisher. I graduated with a bachelor's of science in Nursing. I am a proud Nurse and I love it. I can't imagine doing anything else. I love spending my life caring for others, teaching, and building relationships with my patients. Many of my patients everyday think they won't be able to get well or doubt their physical abilities, I am there to encourage and let them know that they will be able to get through anything if they give it their all. I use my life story as an example of never giving up and continuing your dream. Anything is possible. If I can come from a completely different country starting from zero and getting to where I am now, I know that others that have gone through worse or are loosing their inspiration can get through it and complete their goals in life! Never give up! It is okay to fail you just have to keep trying until you get it!

I really like this song kinda reminds you of the little things in life. Just brings warmth and comfort when your going through a rough patch.

Also what ever your dreams are it is your plan and no one else's. If it means a lot to you then don't mind other poeple's opinions or comments. They don't understand how important it is to you. Just always remember why it's so important to you and keep going until you achieve it. You are the only person who can stop your dreams from happening".

Daliana Gonzalez:

As you all know, my name is Daliana Gonzalez, I am a 22 year old Latina, Blogger and I am currently working on my Masters at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. I have taken on the challenge to touch up on sensitive topics that I believe won’t just impact me, but other women and men who read my posts as well. You never know who is going through a similar situation until you speak up. I decided to do a women empowerment blog post, not only dedicated to my women readers, but also for the guys as well. It is always a good thing to be a man who is educated on such topics, and especially to be a man whom supports the women surrounding you on a daily basis because being a woman isn’t easy.

When we talk about privilege, we always talk about race, and rarely about gender. Being a white male, in such a predominantly conservative country benefits you. Being a white woman, comes along with some benefits as well, but at the end of the day, being woman isn’t a privilege. Women have to work twice as hard as a man to be just as successful.

As for myself, I live through the voice of silence. I am someone who kept my truths and opinions to myself as I listened to what everyone had to say around me. I can honestly say that I felt guilty for housing my own voice instead of speaking my truth. I am part of the minority group here in America, I identify myself as a Latina woman who is middle class, and has to work for everything I want to achieve. My successes are not handed to me, they are earned despite the adversities thrown at me and my family and that is something that white privileged people will never be able to relate to. My peers who surround me every day have no idea what it’s like to be looked down upon for someone who has grown up in the inner city and wants to be part of a system that which is mainly white and male driven.

I was raised by a single mom and I took on the responsibility of helping her with my siblings at a young age. One thing that I can admit, is that I have always been surrounded by male counterparts because of this. I have always thrived of competition, and a great challenge. I love to doubt myself, only to prove myself wrong most of the time. Many of the male counterparts that have been in my life have taught me something different. They have taught me how to take risks, and be challenging. To stand for myself and to never back down to other males that I may come across. They have showed me that men and women are equal, yet we are blind to it because of the silence that exists on the topic.

Nobody can inspire me like the women who have been a part of my life, young and old, I have always found something inspiring in them all.

For example, my younger sister inspires me to be the greatest that I can be. To teach her what it’s like to overcome obstacles with my head held high no matter the situation. To get back when I am knocked clean off my feet. To show her that when you put your heart and dedication into something, it can result in success. My mother inspires me to fight for what I love, and for who I love. She has taught me to become a strong character, and has helped me mold myself into the woman I am today. She taught me what self-perseverance and self love is. My mother has taught me that women don’t need men, men need women. My grandma has taught me what it’s like to have a backbone and be self-sufficient and independent.

The women in this blog have taught me that women should embrace one another, and support each others dreams and goals. These women are beautiful, talented, and have all surpassed their own struggles. The beauty within these women stems from the determination in finishing the race. I applaud all of the women who decided to help me compose this blog post because without you r experiences, it wouldn’t be as powerful. This is what women supporting women looks like. Women from different backgrounds, and cultures coming together to uplift one another and change the world one step at a time.

This blog is intended to fuel a conversation of race, sex and the intersectionality of feminism with the whole concepts of women being oppressed. The feminist movement gives women an opportunity to voice their opinions on many matters that are current, yet when it comes to race, there is still a divide. It is difficult to realize when a Black woman is dealing with the same thing as a White woman because of the race difference. We would like to think that all women in this matter come together to support each other, which they do, but on different levels. It is very difficult to touch on the subject of race when it comes to discussing it and tying it into the opinions of sex and intersectionality but it is an attainable conversation.

It is important to keep in mind that women are being oppressed due to the strong structures of patriarchy that are grounded within our present day society. White supremacy is also an important barrier that women should attempt to break through and that would consist of merging both White and Black feminists: even Hispanics and Asians, to come together under one umbrella to bring everyone together. Granted, everyone houses their oppressor differently, but it is common for women of all races to being shunned by men figures in modern day society. If all women, regardless of race or creed would come together, the feminist movement would be able to break the barriers of women having to house the oppressor within: they would have a free judgement zone amongst themselves, to speak their minds, become more opinionated, and overall more powerful as women.

To my strong, and courageous men: (you are not forgotten)

"Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in." (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)

Be mindful of the daily struggles that the women in your life go through on a daily basis. Yes, you inspire us in ways that are in-imaginable and you have been able to contribute to the many strengths that we acquire through the heartbreaks, friendships, family ties, to relationships. Yet through it all, never take the women in your life for granted: think to yourself, what would I do without my mother, daughter, sister, aunt, grandma, girlfriend, wife, bestfriend? It’s impossible to imagine a life without an inspirational woman figure. Keep in mind as well, that it is important to fight for the rights of all women and to always have a voice when it comes to feminism, women empowerment etc.

Below are some motivation quotes for women empowerment that have inspired me throughout the years. Share them, live by them, enjoy them, acknowledge them.

“Trust the timing of your life” (Marina Rodriguez)

"Start each day with a grateful heart" "One day at a time" "You can get through your battle of recovery"

I believe people should stick together and uplift one another. You're post sends a powerful message. I believe in you. **Personal message (Autumn Rhodes)

“ In any field, women must work twice as hard to even get half the respect her male counterparts get. When does this stop? The greats collaborated with Drake, Kendrick and Cole because they’re dope MC’s. They collared with Nicki cuz someone pulled a gun to their heads.” ( Nicki Minaj)

“I always feel it’s important for me to show females that they can be in charge of their own situation… When I win and when I lose, I take ownership of it, because I really am in charge of what I do. There are a lot of strong male rappers, who’ve influenced me a great deal in terms of my skill, my flow, and my business savvy side. But at the end of the, I still want to inspire women. “ (Nicki Minaj)

"All of us women, let's just stick together and look out for each other." (Amber Rose)

“I don’t harp on the negative because if you do, then there’s no progression. There’s no forward movement. You got to always look on the bright side of things, and we are in control. Like, you have control over the choices you make.” (Taraji P. Henson)

“You know what? I’m not even gonna consider myself nothing. Here’s the thing that bitches got me fucked up when it comes to that word. People think that being a feminist is a bitch that, like, went to school. They wear skirts all the way to their muthafucking ankles like a goddamn first lady. That’s not being a feminist. Being a feminist is being equal to do what a man do. Niggas hustle, and I hustle niggas.” (Cardi B)

"I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back." (Malala Yousafzai)

"I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay." (Madonna)

"It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent." (Madeleine Albright)

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass." (Maya Angelou)

"There's something so special about a woman who dominates in a man's world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer." (Rihanna)

"There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." (Michelle Obama)

"We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead." (Beyoncé)