Maya Angelou, “On the Pulse of Morning,” 1993
Steve Exum/Getty ImagesMaya Angelou
When Maya Angelou spoke at President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration ceremony in 1993, she became the first woman and the first African-American to read a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration. She also spread a message of inclusion, optimism, and the responsibility of every citizen to work for change.
Best quote:
“Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister’s eyes, into
Your brother’s face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.”
Full speech:
Betty Friedan, National Organization for Women farewell speech, 1970
Wikimedia CommonsBetty Friedan
Betty Friedan was the first president of the National Organization for Women. As she stepped down from the post in 1970, Friedan decided to call on her fellow females to go on a strike. 50,000 of them listened in New York City alone, with offshoot marches in 42 other states.
In light of the recent “Day Without a Woman” protests, it’s unsettling how relevant her words still are.
Best quote:
“The women who are doing menial chores in the offices as secretaries put the covers on their typewriters and close their notebooks and the telephone operators unplug their switchboards, the waitresses stop waiting, cleaning women stop cleaning and everyone who is doing a job for which a man would be paid more stop … And when it begins to get dark, instead of cooking dinner or making love, we will assemble and we will carry candles alight in every city to converge the visible power of women at city hall … Women will occupy for the night the political decision-making arena and sacrifice a night of love to make the political meaning clear.”
