She Takes a Stand: 16 Fearless Activists Who Have Changed the World
INTRODUCTION SEARCHING FOR SUPERHEROES hen citizens are faced with villains in comic books and movies a superhero arrives in the nick of time to set things right In the real world it takes ordinary people doing the extraordinary to confront violence and injustice Normal people rising up to change the world for the better are as courageous as any super hero Among these heroes are girls and women who have reached the point where they feel they have no choice but to take action In this book you will meet 16 such women young and old from all over the world like Kalpona Akter a girl fired from her job in a garment factory for trying to improve horrid work ing conditions and Ida B Wells a young black reporter who set out armed only with her words to end the lynchings of African Americans Each of them found the courage and perseverance to pursue her goals for as long as it took despite threats against their lives Other activists such as musician Buffy Sainte Marie and painter Judy Baca chose to
use their artistic talents in service of social change These stories and those of 12 other courageous women may inspire you to take action to solve a problem whether it is in your neighborhood or the global community and become one more ordinary person accomplishing one more extraordinary
MEGAN GRASSELL Ripening a Yellowberry One of the biggest problems I had getting started was getting people to take me and my ideas seriously Megan Grassell n the following pages you will meet women who have taken a stand for basic rights and respect against greed and corruption and against vio lence around the world But sometimes a practical problem in your own family can prompt you to act That's what happened to Megan Grassell an inspir ing example of how one teen got fired up and wouldn't give up Her efforts now contribute to the comfort and emotional well being of thousands of young teen and tween girls Megan was born on August 16 1995 in Jackson Hole Wyoming Her father Chopper grew up in the Green River Valley of Wyoming Her mother Lynn was from Georgia Grandma Susan Chopper's moth er was raised on a ranch lacking both electricity and running water In this rugged rural area many people
learn to be resourceful and though independent in spirit are always ready to lend a hand Megan during her senior year of high school Courtesy of Megan Grassell Growing up in the small town of Pinedale on the west side of the Wind River Mountains Megan enjoyed fun times outdoors with her older brother Will Megan’s carefree days with Will and their younger sister Caroline nicknamed Buggs didn't last long When Megan was in kindergarten Will was diag nosed with brain cancer Fortunately after treatment he was cancer free But then just a month before Megan's seventh birthday Caroline fell off a float in the Rendezvous Parade and she died as a result a tragic loss for the family and community Later their
