Who runs the world? Girls.

In every generation there is a prominent female figure for young girls to look up to. From Cleopatra to J Lo, women all across history have been an empowering force behind the feminist movement. Currently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC, is working to heal our broken climate. Vice President Harris has been playing a key role in President Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan,. Amanda Gorman, who wrote and delivered her fantastic Inaugural poem, The Hill We Climb, was recently on the cover of Vogue Magazine wearing “a look celebrating men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh’s personal African heritage, and belt” (Vogue). 

In a Politico Article, AOC discusses her goals as a District Representative to aid to the Climate Crisis: “‘We’re going to transition to a 100 percent carbon free-economy, that is more unionized, more just, more dignified and guarantees more health care and housing than we ever have before,’ Ocasio-Cortez said at a press conference overlooking the National Mall. ‘Do we intend on sending a message to the Biden administration that we need to go bigger and bolder? The answer is absolutely yes’” (POLITICO). AOC aids to help the Climate Crisis, and understands that extreme and “radical” decisions need to be made if any change is going to be incited. She knows that the only way we can get anything done is to urge for President Biden to stand up and take more action against this crisis (POLITICO). 

In recent news, Biden calls for his Afghanistan withdrawal decision, and Harris is playing a major role. Vice President Kamala Harris reported on Sunday that she was the last person in the room when President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan. Biden has said that being the last person in the room when big decisions are made is crucial to him in his working relationship with the vice president, and Harris was asked about that. That was the case, according to Harris, when it came to the decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by September 11. In a Politico Article, Harris regards Biden “‘This is a president who has an extraordinary amount of courage,’ she said, regarding the decision. ‘He is someone, who I have seen over and over again, make decisions based on what he truly believes … is the right thing to do’” (POLITICO). Harris is showing women how she is able to help make major decisions in America, and rock a pair of heels at the same time (POLITICO).

A few months ago at Biden’s inauguration, Amanda Gorman presented herself before the American people, and blew everyone away with her inauguration poem. In Gorman’s The Hill We Climb, she shows the struggle and triumph of herself as a black woman growing up in America. When a student at Ramapo, Gabriella Goldberg was asked what she thought of Gorman’s poem, she replied that “Amanda Gorman’s speech embodied a feeling of hope. She used beautiful metaphors that described relatable feelings that everyone endures, from hopelessness to stress, especially due to the tense climate of our country at the moment. She was a breath of fresh air and she encapsulates a myriad of feelings that Americans are experiencing due to many reasons. She was such an eloquent speaker as well, with her remarkable hand motions to act out the words of her poem. I loved it and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the future!” Not only did this poem receive thunderous applause, but it also launched Gorman’s career and reputation forward as she was recently on the cover of Vogue Magazine. Vogue explains how “with her [Gorman’s] new prominence, Gorman says that her hope is to be ‘a stepping-stone for change.’” This is exactly what Gorman plans to do with the next stages of her life. In the recent Vogue Magazine cover, Gorman wears an African blanket to show diverse and beautiful cultures. Gorman has also inspired a new American Girl doll named Gabriela, who is a look-alike to Gorman and is even described as having a speech impediment similar to Gorman’s as well (Vogue). It can truly be seen that Gorman and other amazing female figures in our society are changing the world for the better.