“The best way to predict your future is to create it”
Coming from a multicultural background, it’s always been one of my top priorities to expose my children to diversity from the day they were born. My mother is from India and my father is African-American (although of Haitian decent). I was born in Saudi Arabia and lived overseas for a few years before moving to America.
Elementary in Seattle, Washington consisted of me being the only black girl in my class with a curly afro that everyone wanted to touch (my hair would not grow some reason).
Fast forward to now, embracing our multicultural background, ethnic hair, diverse skin tone and all the other beautiful features we possess has become a huge part of our daily culture! Being a mother of all girls, it’s so important for me to raise them knowing that their unique features make them one of a kind! Their beauty not only resonates internally but also external through their acts of kindness and the way they treat others! I want them to know that inspiration surrounds us at all times, you just have to open your eyes and hearts to see it! The following iconic women are just a few who exemplify talent, class, grace, and more importantly use their position of power to positively impact the world around them!
Michelle Obama
An American lawyer, university administrator, and writer, who was the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She is married to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama and was the first African American First Lady of the United States. Michelle Obama is also a role model for women and worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating.
Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter
Beyonce is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who is also known as the most important and compelling popular musician of the twenty-first century. In 2014, she became the highest-paid black musician in history and was listed among Time’s 100 most influential people in the world for a second year in a row. Beyonce has become an outspoken advocate for civil rights, feminism and self-expression, proving that it’s possible to be politically engaged and still hold down an extremely successful career in mainstream entertainment.
Yara Shahidi
Yara Shahidi is a young American actress, model, and activist born to an Iranian-American father and African-American mother. Yara also founded Eighteen x 18 which will be a platform to encourage her peers to vote for the very first time in our upcoming elections. Her other organizations include Yara’s Club, a partnership with Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN) of New York, which provides online mentorship in hopes to end poverty through education.
Halima Aden
Halima Aden is a Somali-American fashion model. She was born in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya and at the age of six moved to the United States. She is noted for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she was a semi-finalist. Aden was also the first hijab-wearing model to walk international runways and to be signed to a major agency. In 2018, Aden became a UNICEF ambassador and her work is focused around children’s rights where she has been able to break boundaries, further diversifying the industry to be more inclusive of Muslims.
