As I sat watching Michelle Obama on my computer giving her “Be Not Afraid’ speech in Iowa, chills ran through my body. She spoke with such strength, eloquence and compassion about not giving in to fear that I felt truly moved. I made everyone in my household listen. If you have not heard it, you should watch and listen. It also made me believe even more in her husband - a young man named Barack Obama who at that time was still pretty new to most Americans.
Michelle Obama speaks often about strong women and she herself is an excellent example. As The First Lady, she is perhaps the closest the United States has to a queen. Although our history books are filled with stories of great men who are leaders, we have been remiss in giving coverage to great women leaders, with the exception of a few in Europe such as England’s Queen Elizabeth I and Victoria and Russia’s Catherine the Great. There have been many women all over the world who helped to shape their country. I am certain that Michelle Obama will be one of them. In another speech to women voters for Obama in New Mexico, Michelle Obama stated, women had been a great part of the campaign because “women get things done.” When she said that, it reminded me of another African Queen that I had read about who later became a Pharaoh – Hatshepsut.
I became intrigued when I first learned about Hatshepsut about 25 years ago, when I was doing research for an African history lesson. I learned that Hatshepsut was a great woman – a King – a Pharaoh who helped to shape her country during her time. Hatshepsut ascended the throne in Egypt, in about 1473 B. C and became the Pharaoh, believed by the Egyptians to be a link between the gods and mankind. Thus, she became the Horus Wosretkaw, Golden Horus Netjeret – khau, Two Ladies Wadjet-renput, Daughter of Re Maatkare, Lady of the Two Lands, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Hatshepsut-united-with-Amun - a physical child of the sun-God Re. Amun of Thebes was the principal god of Egypt and thought to be the creator of the universe. Hatshepsut had many accomplishments during her reign, but she is remembered more because of her attire. To conform to Egypt’s long held tradition of men ruling as King’s, she wore men’s clothing, a beard and was always depicted as a male king.
An extraordinary woman and leader, during her reign, “she got things done.” She was not the first female Pharaoh, but according to many historians, she was the most important in terms of her influence on the Egyptian culture. She was responsible for the reunification of Upper and Lower Egypt. There were no wars during her twenty year reign and because of this, people were able to spend time developing art and architecture. New forms of art were discovered that influenced later generations. The obelisk was developed during this time and the design was actually copied to make the Washington Monument. Her reign was also the longest of any female Pharaoh; and she was greatly loved. She established trade routes in other lands as she became the first oceanographer travelling to places like the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. However, she did have enemies. Her mysterious death has puzzled historians for years. Some say that her co-ruler had her killed and ordered her name and images destroyed. New evidence has come forth now proving who she was as women in power have garnered more respect.
I think that every child should know about Hatshepsut, especially our girls. That is why I incorporated her story in my children’s story book, Aisha’s Crowning Glory. It is important that our children have strong male and female role models. I believe our girls need to have as many positive images as possible to counter many of the negative images that they see in the media. Presently, Michelle Obama is certainly a role model for all of us. Standing on stages in large and small cities across the country, she garners love and respect with her eloquence, striking intellect and beauty. This country is just beginning to allow women to rise in their careers and compete with men. Under the new presidency, perhaps women will earn the same pay and the same place in our history books. At the same time, “Aisha’s Crowning Glory”tells our young girls that they are beautiful, they have a proud history, they must believe in themselves, work hard and they can be anything they want to be.
For more information about how to order Aisha’s Crowning Glory, contact Eloise Prescott (elprescott1@yahoo.com) at 267-240-5109. To encourage self-esteem in young girls and to establish goal setting guidelines, a supplement with activities is included with the book for teachers and parents. The book can be purchased for $15.
For further reading about Hatshepsut read, From Queen to Pharaoh, Hatshepsut, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Purchase Aisha's Crowning Glory Online:
Written By: Eloise Prescott
Image Source (Michelle Obama) : http://weblogs.cltv.com/news/opinion/mcclendon/entertainment/
1 comment:
Hi! I got to your blog via Aunt Jemima. Great post. I didn't know about Hatshepsut before. Thanks!
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