Phenomenal Women - Get Yo' Flowers

Souled Goods presents our Her Flowers line of bright tees celebrating some pretty awesome ladies in history. Let me learn ya:

Fannie Lou Hamer, a quick google search will show that she fought for voting rights in the deep south and represented the Freedom Democratic Party at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. She hollered in the streets and drove Black folks to the polls at a time when we were attacked for doing so.

But that's not what makes Fannie Lou a phenomenal woman. Her fight for freedom began rather inconspicuously with a uterine tumor. Instead of removing the tumor, the surgeon gave her the good ole "Mississippi Appendectomy" - women went into the hospital for minor surgeries and came out with hysterectomies. Fannie Lou seemed to be catapulted into a life of selfless freedom fighting after experiencing this and a domino of other injustices in her life. She dedicated the rest of her days to voting rights, as well as advocating for birthing rights of Black women. 

Ida B. Wells was an original badass Black woman. Among some of her early badass moments, was the time she refused to give up the first class train seat she had purchased. Despite having the ticket, the train crew would not let her sit there and forced her to move to the Black-Only car. She sued the railway, won $500, but had the decision overturned. Ida B. went on to write article after article about injustice everywhere, founded two newspapers, and taught in segregated elementary schools. 

After her three of her colleagues who were owned a successful business were wrongfully imprisoned, pulled from the jailhouse, and brutally lynched, Ida B. was further activated to begin researching and writing articles that highlighted the unreported murders and violence against marginalized people throughout the U.S. She also fought for women's voting rights, and all this while being a wife and mother to 4 children. 

Maya Angelou wrote hundreds of poems that showcased the beauty, pain, joy, and sadness of the Black experience. Her powerful words spoke to all walks of life. Her writing was so real, that her NYTimes Bestselling book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is one of the most banned and/or challenged books in America for its language and portrayals of violence, racism, sexuality, childhood rape and teen pregnancy.

When she was 8 years old, Maya Angelou stopped speaking. She silenced her voice because she thought her voice had killed a man. Even at this young age, Maya understood that words had power. Her poem, Phenomenal Woman, has been recited countless numbers of times by eager young men and women hoping for a better future.

Whether it's for your mom, your sister, yourself, or a friend, pick up one of these powerful tees along with a bouquet. Get yo' flowers y'all!

XO
Coletta