Contents Introduction 3 1 Best All-Around Harriet Tubman 4 2 Most Loyal Dede Mirabal 6 4 Most Determined Grace Lee Boggs 10 5 Biggest Dreamer Victoria Woodhull 12 3 Most Distinguishable Voice Coretta Scott King 8 6 Earth’s Best Friend Wangari Maathai 14 7 Most Caring Lizzy Lind 16 8 Most Proud Barbara Gittings 18 9 Best Team Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton 20 10 Best Yearbook Editor Amelia Jenks Bloomer 22 11 Best Sense of Humor Wilma Mankiller 24 12 Most Likely to Lead a Protest Mother Jones 26 Your Turn 30 Consider This 31 Glossary 31 Index 31 2
Introduction We are celebrating girl activists Activists are fighters They fight for human rights They fight against things that are unfair They fight for people who can’t fight for themselves They stand up against evil They want things to change But their work is not easy Many people try to stop them Girl activists could get hurt They put their lives at risk They overcome many challenges Challenges are hard tasks Throughout history women have shown that they’re tough They’re smart They’re strong The girl activists in this book rise to the top They paved the way for today’s girl activists You can be an activist too Stand up for what’s right Lead with your heart and mind Be confident in your abilities And refuse to give up Here’s to you and all the girl activists in our lives 3
chapter 1 Best All-Around Harriet Tubman 4
But I was free and they should be free Harriet Tubman The Best All-Around award goes to Harriet Tubman Tubman escaped slavery Slavery is when people own other people This is an unfair system Tubman fought against slavery She helped hundreds of slaves She led them to freedom She didn’t lose a single person She did many other things She fought in the U S Civil War She led troops in battle She was a cook She was a spy She was a nurse She cured sicknesses She knew the land She knew plants She knew how to make medicine She helped sick soldiers She supported women’s rights for equality She opened up her house to the needy She died in 1913 5
