After its initial publication in 1993, this book quickly became an essential book for country music scholars and fans. Now back in print, with updated material, an additional chapter, and new photos, this volume is poised to reach a whole new generation of country music fans. From country's earliest pioneers to its greatest legends, this book documents the lives of the female artists who have shaped the music for over two hundred years. Through interviews, photos, and primary texts, the authors weave a vast and complex tapestry of personalities and talent. Long overlooked and underappreciated by scholars, female country music artists have always been immensely popular with fans. This book gets to the heart of the special bond female artists have with their audiences. People seeking to understand the context out of which mega-stars such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and the Dixie Chicks emerged need look no farther than this book.
Feminist Baby is back in the follow-up to the New York Times bestseller by two-time Emmy Award-winning author Loryn Brantz. Feminist Baby is learning to talkShe says what she thinks and it totally rocks! Feminist Babies stand up tall"Equal rights and toys for all!" Feminist Baby is ready for more adventures -- and this time she has friends! Still strong and independent, readers will love Feminist Baby as she continues to teach about feminism in a fresh, accessible way.
In a culture that praises blending in over standing out, productivity over purpose, and noise over truth, many women find their God-given voice compromised, quieted, or even mocked. We all long to live out our divinely designed passions and unique talents, yet too often it becomes so much easier in the face of opposition to stay silent altogether. What if God is calling you to so much more? As a working mom, wife, artist, and abolitionist, Natalie Grant has struggled to live on purpose while battling the worldly demands of keeping up the appearance of perfection. Emerging from her own dark spiral of suffocating inadequacy, Natalie found fresh hope in the truth that God has already given women everything they need to live out their God-given identity, passions, and calling. Finding Your Voice offers the heart-rallying, life-giving truth that a woman’s voice is not an uncalled for interference to be silenced, but a gift to be used for God's Kingdom purposes. In voice lessons as in life, a strong vocal identity requires us to first stand firm, breath deep, and finally, go for it--loud and clear. With rich scriptural study and personal stories infusing every chapter, Finding Your Voice reveals how to discover your own unique talent, train it according to God's Word, and start using it for the good of others--without guilt and apology.
Countless women have been intimidated or shamed into silence. They have been made to feel that what they have to say isn't important or valued, their joy in life crippled by a lost voice. When a Woman Finds Her Voice equips women to take off the masks, break their silence, and live a full, free life one where their voice matters.
It's Amaya's first month at a new school in a new state, and she's too scared to speak. Amaya has a stutter. At her old school she got bullied for how she talked, but she had finally just started making friends. And then her mom got a new job and moved them to DC, where she had to start all over again! Now Amaya is mad at her mom and scared at school. The only friend she shares her feelings with is her dog, Journey, who can talk back! If Amaya doesn't start speaking soon, she'll keep getting in trouble and will never make friends. Can Journey and her classmates help Amaya find her voice? The authors of this story are part of an innovative program run by Reach Incorporated. Reach develops grade-level readers and capable leaders by preparing teens to serve as tutors and role models for younger students, resulting in improved literacy outcomes for both. Learn more at reachincorporated.org. Books were created in collaboration with Shout Mouse Press. Shout Mouse is a nonprofit writing program and publishing house for unheard voices. Through writing workshops designed for all levels of literacy, Shout Mouse empowers writers from marginalized backgrounds to tell their own stories in their own voices and, as published authors, to act as agents of change. Learn more at shoutmousepress.org
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK! “Brave, fresh . . . unforgettable.”—The New York Times Book Review “A celebration of girls who dare to dream.”—Imbolo Mbue, author of Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club pick) Shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and recommended by The New York Times, Marie Claire, Vogue, Essence, PopSugar, Daily Mail, Electric Literature, Red, Stylist, Daily Kos, Library Journal, The Everygirl, and Read It Forward! The unforgettable, inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself, The Girl with the Louding Voice is a simultaneously heartbreaking and triumphant tale about the power of fighting for your dreams. Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her path, Adunni never loses sight of her goal of escaping the life of poverty she was born into so that she can build the future she chooses for herself – and help other girls like her do the same. Her spirited determination to find joy and hope in even the most difficult circumstances imaginable will “break your heart and then put it back together again” (Jenna Bush Hager on The Today Show) even as Adunni shows us how one courageous young girl can inspire us all to reach for our dreams…and maybe even change the world.
Find the strength and confidence needed to speak up, be heard, and assert yourself in a world filled with microaggressions and discrimination. Have you experienced stress, frustration, anger, or sadness as a Black girl in a predominantly White space? Have there been times when you were the only Black voice to speak up in class or in a social situation? Maybe you have felt lonely as the only Black person in a group. Unfortunately, you are far from alone. However, there are steps you can take to build self-empowerment, develop skills to address microaggressions, and explore your feelings and experiences in a meaningful way. This workbook can help you get started. Written by three powerful women who are lifelong advocates for racial justice, Finding Her Voice provides activities and exercises to help you challenge dominant culture, cultivate self-compassion and self-confidence, and build resilience in a world still filled with microaggressions and discrimination. You’ll learn how to navigate awkward or difficult situations at school, with friends, and on social media. You’ll also find real stories from other teens who share your experiences. By reading about situations faced by other Black girls in White spaces and responding to the critical questions and exercises in the workbook, you’ll learn to recognize and address some of the challenges unique to the Black girl experience. Finally, you’ll learn to strengthen your wonderful sense of self and own your power, and discover ways to share your amazing gifts with the world.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Finalist for the NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Literary Work" "Valerie has been one of Barack and my closest confidantes for decades... the world would feel a lot better if there were more people like Valerie blazing the trail for the rest of us."--Michelle Obama "The ultimate Obama insider" (The New York Times) and longest-serving senior advisor in the Obama White House shares her journey as a daughter, mother, lawyer, business leader, public servant, and leader in government at a historic moment in American history. When Valerie Jarrett interviewed a promising young lawyer named Michelle Robinson in July 1991 for a job in Chicago city government, neither knew that it was the first step on a path that would end in the White House. Jarrett soon became Michelle and Barack Obama's trusted personal adviser and family confidante; in the White House, she was known as the one who "got" him and helped him engage his public life. Jarrett joined the White House team on January 20, 2009 and departed with the First Family on January 20, 2017, and she was in the room--in the Oval Office, on Air Force One, and everywhere else--when it all happened. No one has as intimate a view of the Obama Years, nor one that reaches back as many decades, as Jarrett shares in Finding My Voice. Born in Iran (where her father, a doctor, sought a better job than he could find in segregated America), Jarrett grew up in Chicago in the 60s as racial and gender barriers were being challenged. A single mother stagnating in corporate law, she found her voice in Harold Washington's historic administration, where she began a remarkable journey, ultimately becoming one of the most visible and influential African-American women of the twenty-first century. From her work ensuring equality for women and girls, advancing civil rights, reforming our criminal justice system, and improving the lives of working families, to the real stories behind some of the most stirring moments of the Obama presidency, Jarrett shares her forthright, optimistic perspective on the importance of leadership and the responsibilities of citizenship in the twenty-first century, inspiring readers to lift their own voices.
For fans of I Dissent and She Persisted -- and Jane Austen fans of all ages -- a picture book biography about the beloved and enduring writer and how she found her unique voice. Witty and mischievous Jane Austen grew up in a house overflowing with words. As a young girl, she delighted in making her family laugh with tales that poked fun at the popular novels of her time, stories that featured fragile ladies and ridiculous plots. Before long, Jane was writing her own stories-uproariously funny ones, using all the details of her life in a country village as inspiration. In times of joy, Jane's words burst from her pen. But after facing sorrow and loss, she wondered if she'd ever write again. Jane realized her writing would not be truly her own until she found her unique voice. She didn't know it then, but that voice would go on to capture readers' hearts and minds for generations to come.
#1 Bestseller in Women in Politics & Business Leadership Women's rights advocate and leadership consultant Tabby Biddle has written a practical, courageous and urgent call to action for women of all ages. This book brings to light the dark patches of our culture where women's voices are still silent and aims to make a change agent out of every reader. An alchemizing combination of manifesto, personal narrative, and practical guide, Find Your Voice serves as an experiential read for every woman who is ready to remember her innate feminine wisdom, unearth her purpose, and step fully into her power. With equal parts research and heart, Tabby leads the way to form a sisterhood of all women who are up to the task of bringing the collective feminine power to the forefront of society in order to initiate real change. Whether or not you consider yourself to be a leader or even the least bit political, this book is an essential tool for you to begin to stand in your unique power as a woman and finally be heard. Why it Matters The research is in. Women's voices and women's leadership are in demand. According to the latest studies, when women are in leadership, workplaces and communities are more productive, innovative and successful. When more women are leaders, we change society's view of what leaders look like, how they operate, and how they respond to social, economic and political needs. When more women are leaders, we raise the aspirations of women and girls around the world. With women outnumbering men in earning undergraduate and master's degrees, while at the same time representing less than 20 percent of leadership in business, politics, media, health, education and every other industry, there has never been a better time to bring more women's voices into the social and political dialogue, and be inspired to speak out. Fast paced and well written, Find Your Voice takes you on a powerful journey and spits you out on the other side with a new-found sense of purpose, and an arsenal of tactics to find your voice and 'get out there' with it.