Month: October 2018

Extra, Extra: October 12th

On By Landrie JonesLeave a comment

In an effort to stay up to date on what’s happening in the modern world, each week (by each Friday) I will post a few reputable news stories that haven’t gotten the highlight or coverage that they should. I feel like life changing stories are often covered up by less important stories just because of their entertainment factors. So while we know all about which celebrities are dating which, we are left not knowing the news shaping countless lives across the globe. It’s important to know what is happening around the world. Women’s Rights are still being carved out of the face history, and we need to collectively know what’s going on.

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Image Credits: FreeImages / Free News Stock Photo

 

  •  October 7, 2018: An article written by Sarah Aziza on the Pulitzer Center website describes the terrifying aftermath in Saudi Arabia, as the revoking of the ban on women driving settles in. As discussed throughout the article the many female activists that have been working for years to revoke this ban are being threatened by the government. Any that disagree with the government are paying the price. Repercussions have included threats, prison time, and people have even disappeared without a trace after speaking out. The grip the Saudi monarch has on it’s people is so tight and suffocating that people will not share their mere opinions because the government may lash back. They are scared for their lives. Please read the full Pulitzer Center article here as it goes into more detailed accounts of protests, punishments, and known activists than I can feasibly fit into this short post.

 

  • October 8, 2018: To start off with a positive note, according to the BBC’s “Why more women don’t win Nobel prizes in science” article, there is a significant increase in the amount of women earning a PhD in physics in the past 40 years. In 1975 only 5% of PhDs in Physics were earned by women, but now there are 18%. While this is excellent progress there is still much to be wanted. These numbers are representative of the lack of women in the physical sciences. The amount of women in STEM careers has increased drastically, and I am truly proud of this progress.  In the same BBC article it is mentioned that 50% or more of the current social science careers & psychology are occupied by women. I want young women to be pushed toward the physical sciences as a way to increase the numbers even more. The stereotypical belief of “women aren’t good at math and science” is so outdated and should be treated as such.

While there are only two mentioned news articles for this week this is a good taste for what the weekly “Extra, Extra!” will be like. In the future posts I would like to mention 3 to 5 current events. The snippets of info are strictly snippets, as they are an invitation for you to read more about the stories you are most interested in! I want to bring up some stories that you would not read otherwise.

Are these articles interesting to you? Let me know if you enjoy the weekly Extra, Extra! post idea or not and as always mention other current events you’d like to discuss in the comments! If there are any upcoming happenings you want mentioned for the following weeks drop those down there too!

I also wanted to mention another blog I hope to one day be as successful as. Girls’ Globe is a sleek website that brings their readers current news, and interesting themed articles & stories about society, culture, life, relationships etc… I highly recommend checking them out! Until next time, cheers!

 

 

 

Dancing Machine: Misty Copeland

On By Landrie JonesLeave a comment

In 2015 history was forever changed when ballet dancer Misty Copeland became the first African American principle dancer in the history of the American Ballet Theatre. I mean, how cool is it to be alive during so many social changes?! One day when we’re all old and gray we can tell our grandkids all the things we’ve seen. Anyways, according to Misty Copeland’s sleek, personal website she started her journey years before this great accomplishment by being awarded Coca-Cola’s sought after scholarship, and worked her way up from there. She slowly, but surely danced her way to the leading role in two of the most well-known ballets, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Misty Copeland is an inspiration to all young women, both in the world of dance, and to young women of color.

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Image Credit: Misty’s Gallery / Misty Copeland Website

During my freshman year at IUSB, I had to pick a fitness class, and while jogging at 8am twice a week sounded oh-so-exciting (not. at. all.) I looked into other options. There were many dancing classes to choose from: ballet, tap, jazz, and Middle Eastern. I chose to take the Middle Eastern dance class, due to the beautiful movements, rich history, and culture I’d be able to learn about while staying physically fit. This further solidified by appreciation for the sheer work dancers such as Misty Copeland put into their art. To become as successful as she is, Misty put in countless hours practicing and performing. She wanted to live up to her full potential — which she absolutely has, and then some.

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Image Credit: FreeImages / Free Nutcracker Ballet Stock photo

In her acceptance speech for the Young, Gifted & Black Award Misty said she wants to inspire other young women to follow their dreams and become successful ballerinas if they so choose. Misty said she wants to be, “for them [young black women] what I did not have while growing up – a mentor, role model, someone who looks like them.” Misty Copeland is a trailblazer for young women, she is inspiring and understands that she is a woman that young girls look up to. This pure fact has led her to not only dance but be involved in charities, actively take on endorsements, and to write two books, as well. I didn’t know she had two books out until yesterday, but now that I do, they’re moving to the top of my book list!

She is the first empowering woman to be spotlighted on Woman Crush Wednesday, because she is a hard working, and inspiring young lady that deserves to be recognized for her countless hours practicing and success. If you have a personal story related to the world of dance, Misty Copeland, or suggestions for the next empowering woman to be spotlighted please comment it down below!