My anguish for where we were heading and the stark realization of who we are came to a breaking point in October of 2020. Tensions were high and our country was fragmented across science, politics, social justice, and climate. I felt at a loss, angry and frustrated in so many ways; and that anger turned into drive to bring people together.
One night as I pulled in, the song ‘Highwomen’ by The Highwomen came through my speakers. The song speaks to four women through history that met early ends due to persecutions, be it through: politics, religion, fear, or race relations. The song lends homage to the original Highwaymen song – yet instead focuses on the power and perseverance of women such as a refugee mother, a woman preacher, a freedom rider, and a healer. What has always felt most powerful about this song is that they could be anyone. There have been so many courageous women before us and their names and fight have been lost to history - but their dream is alive and it is in all of us.
With this song as inspiration, I set out with direction. People tend to care more when an issue impacts them directly as that connection drives and cultivates empathy. I asked women I respected if they would embody each of the heroines from the ‘Highwomen’ song. In addition to embodying a heroine, I wanted to create space for each of them to give a voice to a cause they were passionate about. In time, the project grew and I asked another four women to pick heroines of their choosing - ones who embodied a cause that they were passionate about. My hope is that seeing your friends, sisters, and mothers embody these heroines will inspire you to see these causes in new light - and to feel it in a new way.
Nearly a year and lots of learning later, I am thrilled to present this completed documentary: “Skin In The Game” -
In addition to the above documentary; the photographic representation of this project includes an overview of each heroine and how you can continue to learn and support these causes.
Brenda Delgado - a Honduran Refugee
Brenda Delgado represented a Honduran refugee from the ‘Highwomen’ song, these are the lyrics that spoke to her chorus:
I was a Highwoman
And a mother from my youth
For my children I did what I had to do
My family left Honduras when they killed the Sandinistas
We followed a coyote through the dust of Mexico
Every one of them except for me survived
And I am still alive
The Northern Triangle of Central America has experienced wide-spread gang violence, political corruption, and crippling economic growth since the 1980's. Foreign policy and investment in brutal regimes during the Cold War worsened conditions in these countries. Refugees from civil wars in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras fled their home countries in hope of a better life and migrated north towards the US.
The situation at our border today is in crisis. Support the Women's Refugee Commission, visit or volunteer at an ICE Detention Center, foster a child, donate goods (Border Angels, Casa Familiar, Promises2Kids, or South Bay Community Services) , and contact your government representatives.
Bri Mary-Stanek Torres - a healer of the 1690’s
Bri Mary-Stanek Torres represented a healer from the ‘Highwomen’ song, these are the lyrics that spoke to her chorus:
I was a healer
I was gifted as a girl
I laid hands upon the world
Someone saw me sleeping naked in the noon sun
I heard "witchcraft" in the whispers and I knew my time had come
The bastards hung me at the Salem gallows hill
But I am living still
People tend to fear what they don't understand. The term 'witch hunt' has made a return to popular vernacular as powerful men have cried 'witch' in reference to the baseless allegations of the Salem Witch Trials. The serious hypocrisy in this is that 'witch hunts' were not designed to target the powerful - they targeted the poor, women, and those who did not confirm to the predominant religion. The 'witch hunts' kept marginalized individuals in line. As more wars are fought over religion, interest in spirituality and alternative beliefs have grown momentum, especially among millennials.
Challenge laws that restrict the personal freedoms of marginalized groups such as women, BIPOC, and the LGBTQ+ community. You can support organizations such as Planned Parenthood, AWID (Association for Women’s Rights in Development) The Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, or the Native American Rights Fund.
Shelley Gabriel - A Freedom Rider
Shelley Gabriel represented a freedom rider from the ‘Highwomen’ song, these are the lyrics that spoke to her chorus:
I was a freedom rider
When we thought the South had won
Virginia in the spring of '61
I sat down on the Greyhound that was bound for Mississippi
My mother asked me if that ride was worth my life
And when the shots rang out I never heard the sound
But I am still around
Two Supreme Court decisions, in 1946 and 1960, ruled segregation of public buses as unconstitutional. However, the Southern states largely ignored these rulings and the federal government did nothing to enforce the judgements. In response, civil rights activists organized the 'Freedom Riders' who rode interstate buses into the segregated South through the 1960's. The goal was to move the federal government to action to enforce the court rulings. Many riders were arrested, jailed, and in some cases, white mobs attacked and bombed buses without police intervention. The Freedom Riders were successful in convincing the federal government to take action, but at the cost of their lives.
You can honor their legacy and keep the memory of the Freedom Riders alive by visiting and supporting the Freedom Rides Museum, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and other locations along the US Civil Rights Trail. You can continue taking daily action through advocating at your workplace, supporting Black-owned businesses (We Buy Black, IAmBlackBusiness App, or the Black Wallet) and learning and supporting through organizations such as Anti-Racism Daily, The Movement for Black Lives, Black Youth Project 100, or the Dream Defenders.
Leah Bosé - A Preacher of the 1800’s
Leah Bosé represented a female preacher from the ‘Highwomen’ song, these are the lyrics that spoke to her chorus:
I was a preacher
My heart broke for all the world
But teaching was unrighteous for a girl
In the summer I was baptized in the mighty Colorado
In the winter I heard the hounds and I knew I had been found
And in my Savior's name, I laid my weapons down
But I am still around
Countless lives have been claimed in the name of religion. Many of the colonists who immigrated to America did so to escape religious persecution, which is why it's so staggering that women who rose to speak to the same teachings were regarded as ‘eccentric’, ‘hostile’, and ‘uncontrolled’. Christian and Puritans alike feared Quaker women and the "darkest fears about the dangers of uncontrolled female speech." These women faced violence and animosity in their communities, domestic abuse in their homes, and many lost their lives. Do not let history forget and continue to speak your truths and uplift women.
Encourage and support freedom of belief and religion by advocating for the separation of church and state. Citizens in the United States recognize and practice 10+ predominant religions - to align a country’s policies under a single faith is a selfish act that intentionally disregards our country’s richly diverse demographic. Support or volunteer with Americans United, an organization comprised of lawyers, lobbyists, students, activists, and religious leaders who are advocating for the separation of church and state.
A staggering FBI statistic found that in 2020, 58% of religiously motivated hate crimes in the US were anti-sematic, despite the Jewish population being 2% of the US population. In honoring freedom of religion and belief, support and stand-up against hate when you see it your community. Support organizations such as the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), who are actively advocating to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.
Robin Wang - Dr. Kin Yamei
For the basis of this project, Robin Wang chose to embody Dr. Kin Yamei.
Dr. Yamei was born in China in 1864 and adopted by an American couple after being orphaned during the cholera epidemic. She's popularly credited with introducing tofu to the United States and her research of the soybean earned her notable authority for a Chinese woman in the US during this time period. The United States had implemented the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 which banned any immigration from China and led to increasingly negative sentiment of Chinese people in the United States. Dr. Yamei wrote numerous letters to President Theodore Roosevelt condemning the discrimination in housing, jobs, travel, and the increasing rise in racist hate crimes against Chinese-Americans.
Over a 100 years later, and this racism still persists today. Chinese Americans are Americans. Support and stand-up for your AAPI communities, report AAPI hate crimes and take bystander intervention training; support AAPI businesses through Intentionalist, try a local Asian grocer, or use filters within Yelp; and volunteer with or support organizations such as Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Mental Health Project, or I Am Womankind.
Sara McCurdy - Dr. Marie Curie
For the basis of this project, Sara McCurdy chose to embody Dr. Marie Curie.
Marie Curie was a physicist and chemist who pioneered research on radioactivity. Her discoveries of polonium and radium were crucial contributions to discovering treatments for cancer. At the outbreak of World War I, Marie Curie realized the electromagnetic radiation of x-rays could help doctors detect the locations of bullets and shrapnel in soldier's bodies and locate broken bones. This equipment was rarely accessible on the battlefield and Curie and her daughter, Irène, organized and coordinated 200+ x-ray units to be permanently established across front line posts.
Curie's contributions to science have saved millions. She was the first woman awarded a Nobel Peace Prize - and the first and only woman to win a second. She dedicated her life to her research and we can continue honoring her and other pioneers today by supporting science and working together to end the current global pandemic by getting the COVID-19 vaccine. To find a vaccine appointment near you, visit the CDC’s website, Vaccines.gov, or any local CVS. If you have any questions regarding the vaccine, please consult with your doctor or a medical professional. We can only beat this together.
Emily Roethle - Selena Quintanilla
For the basis of this project, Emily Roethle chose to embody Selena Quintanilla.
Selena was an American singer, songwriter and is known as the "Queen of Tejano music." She debuted with her siblings as a member of the band, Selena y Los Dinos in 1981. The band's passion was to perform Tejano music, yet they were often criticized and refused performance bookings across the United States. In a male-dominated industry, Selena and the Los Dinos pushed forward. She was awarded Female Vocalist of the Year in 1987 at the Tejano Music Awards and her popularity continued to grow. She went on to win the award nine consecutive times and is credited with catapulting Tejano music as a mainstream music genre.
Selena was shot and killed in 1995 by her friend and former fan club president Yolanda Saldivar; yet her legacy lives on. Selena crossed cultural boundaries and pioneered the way for women in an industry dominated by men. Selena's joy and kindness continues to inspire young Latinas today.
You can keep her memory and joy alive today by listening to her music and supporting upcoming Latina artists through the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, Artístas y Músicos Latino Americanos (AMLA), or the Latinx Arts Alliance. Within yourself, remember to “always believe the impossible is always possible” - Selena.
Lidia Ruelas - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
For the basis of this project, Lidia Ruelas chose to embody Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, is an American politician serving as the US Representative for New York's 14th congressional district in the Bronx and Queens. AOC grew up experiencing NYC's income inequality and access to opportunity firsthand which inspired her to run for office on a progressive platform funded by the people instead of PAC funds. She has worked with families separated by ICE, stands with Indigenous communities, and is committed to serving working-class people over corporate interests. She advocates for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice as an emerging voice in Congress.
2020 saw a record number of women running for office, shattering the records previously seen in 2018. While women are more than 50% of the US population, they remain less than a third of representation in political office. Women like AOC will continue to inspire our leaders of tomorrow - and they need your support. Organizations like Run For Something support progressive candidates across all 50 states who want to run for their local offices. Run For Something organizes volunteers, events, and donations to support upcoming elections. Powerful change often always starts within your own community - do something today.
Thank you
Thank you for listening, learning, and for celebrating the heroines of our past, present and future. I feel tremendous gratitude to these women for their strength and courageousness in this project. They shared raw emotion, difficult personal challenges, and utmost their passion for making their corner of the world better in their own ways every day. To Brenda Delgado, Bri Mary-Stanek Torres, Shelley Gabriel, Robin Wang, Sara McCurdy, Emily Roethle, and Lidia Ruelas - you are my heroes, thank you.
A deep thank you to Noah Horn, who without this project would not have evolved to its full potential. Thank you for your encouragement, unwavering support, constructive criticism, and for always believing that I can do anything. And although you believe that I can do anything, thank you for doing this with me - the filming and equipment, asking deep questions, teaching me how to edit, and all the frustrating learning curves that come with a project of this magnitude. Thank you for always finding and celebrating the strength in not only me - but all of the women around you.
In a time when the news cycle carries so much heaviness, I hope this project inspires change and drives passion to keep going. There is so much progress happening on an individual, community, and organizational level - join and support what drives your soul. As Shelley Gabriel said “you must be the hands and feet, and hands and feet do things. However you feel in your space - go to sleep at night, knowing that you’re doing something”.
Above all else, it’s time to get some skin in the game.