If given the choice to fill a dinner table full of historic figures, odds are it’ll be full of

people like Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, Gandhi, and other well-known men

throughout history. And while they all had significant accomplishments, one of the most

overlooked and underappreciated groups of people are women of color.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Rep. John Lewis are widely recognized for their works in

putting together voting rights marches and other protests in order to make change. But what isn’t

heard of often is how big of a role women of color had on the movement. Audre Lord, Diane

Nash, and Marsha P. Johnson, all women of color, had massive amounts of influence throughout

the Civil Rights Movement. Audre Lorde was a writer and poet. She identified as a black

lesbian, and this clearly shaped her writing and speeches she made at the time. Her work was

nominated for a National Book award, and it addressed the need to focus on education about

oppression and awareness of intersectionality. Diane Nash fought to continue protesting in order

to end segregation, despite the troubles they experienced. She was the elected coordinator of the

Nashville Student Movement Ride, and she was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent

Coordinating Committee. Her work played a key role in Martin Luther King Jr. coming to

Montgomery to support the Riders. Marsha P. Johnson was a black transgender activist that

went to extreme efforts to provide housing for homeless LGBT youth, along with AIDS

activism. Not only did she commit her life to doing this for the LGBT community, but she was a

leader during the Stonewall Riots in the 1960s. She went above and beyond to do everything she

could to better the lives of the LGBT community, and fight for equality.

While there has been obvious change since the time of the Civil Rights movement, there

is still a lot of work to be done. Women around the world are oppressed simply because of their

gender, which leads to a wage gap. While white feminists have made changes and can publically

recognize this, many women of color are still disadvantaged in today’s society because of

stereotypes and lack of awareness. When we, a society filled with diverse individuals, can

recognize the importance of everyone’s individuality and what they contribute to society, we will

be able to truly fulfill the goals of the activists who has fought for equality. While I’d like to say

there is equality throughout our nation, there is not. It is easy to pick a scapegoat and stick with

it in order to justify our hateful actions. Does anyone deserve to be shot over not wearing a

seatbelt? Should a woman have her clothes lit on fire while walking down the street? Should

anyone be denied the right to use a bathroom? No. These all happened because of hate over race,

religion, and identity. I hope to see the day that society can recognize the hard work of the

women of color that fought for equality. I hope to see the day that everyone, especially women

of color, are treated equally. And mostly, I hope to see the day that our country can cater to the

needs of every individual that lives here, and stop discriminating because of someone’s identity.