Natalie Randolph: Coach

When Natalie Randolph was given the reigns, in March of this year, of the varsity football team, she became the first female varsity coach of Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C. Since that time, she and her school has been in the spotlight. 

I first heard about her accomplishment in a radio interview and I was impressed with her demeanor; calm and assertive. She has been a life long athlete; competing in track in high school and college, then as a professional football player for the D.C. Divas football team. She was also the assistant football coach at another school.

Perhaps she feels, as I do that sports gives something back to the ones who practice and strive to get better at what they do.

The article I like best about her comes from  Parade Magazine; an excerpt  of The Coach’s Advice to Kids  is below. I think it works well for adults also.

The Coach’s Advice to Kids

Have No Fear
People concentrate too much on what others will say about them. If you know you can do something, just do it.

Show Up Every Day
No matter how hard the previous day was, never give up.

It’s Okay to Be Afraid
But it’s not okay to run away from what you’re afraid of.

Make Good Decisions
To do that, you must trust your instincts – and listen to the people around you.

On Friday, August 27th the Coolidge High School Colts played in their first game of the season and lost. Coach Randolph was quoted as stating,

“We have a lot of things to work on but it’s just a football game, it’s not the end of the world.”

As of publication, the Colts are 0-3.

To read the full Parade article by Nina Burleigh, please click on the link http://www.parade.com/news/2010/08/22-a-league-of-her-own.html?index=1

How to be a notable woman

I've always wanted to be a notable woman. I imagine that to be a woman that has an innate ability to get things done; the person that is respected and respects others. The person that quietly goes about her life with integrity, but is not silent in the face of adversity. The woman that lives her life gracefully; with appropriate attention given to her merit.

Of course, I am looking from the outside in. I am not one of those women. On Sunday, I read about one of those women. Someone who gets up everyday and goes out to face whatever may come. (Lately, I have pulled the sheet up to my chin, hoping that would help a head full of "what to do's" sort itself out. It hasn't worked.) The woman I read about is named Mary Haith Savage, she is 79 and lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Mary gardens.  A lot. She changes how a vacant area looks and allows it to evolve into something beautiful; something better. As it states in the article,

"...lots once strewn with empty bottles, candy wrappers, and plastic bags are now an orderly garden."

I find it difficult to create a place that blooms; a place that transforms. I imagine all sorts of pitfalls before a seed even hits the dirt. But Mary has been courageous enough to garden and not just for herself, but for the people of Pittsburgh. She doesn't work on a small garden out back or one little parkway. She works on lots; areas that before Mary worked her hands into the soil, we would drive by with hearts heavy from the blight. If you read the full story you will find that she has been doing this for 40 years. You will find that she will go to the City-County building to get permits to garden on city property. You will find that she has memberships on a number of committees.

You will find that she is a notable woman.

The full article written by Diana Nelson Jones of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette can be found here http://www.parade.com/news/our-towns/2010/0808-she-helps-gardens-bloom.html

This is not the only article on Mary Haith Savage, please use the links below to find out more.

Additional Links:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10034/1032917-51.stm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10112/1052443-455.stm
http://www.jeffersonawards.org/

A show of her OWN

Sometimes inspiration can come from the strangest places...another Turning Point story.

About seven ago months I answered one of those Tell the Truth questionnaires on Facebook. One of the questions asked “How do you feel about your life right now? I replied “bland ~ ready for the next level ~ some new stuff”.

Well, on May 13 I saw an advertisement on the Oprah Show for an opportunity for the chance of a lifetime. She was going to announce something on the show the next day. Instantly something struck me and I knew I had to wake up early enough the next morning to watch her show for the announcement. Currently, I’m not working so I have the luxury of sleeping in. Of course, she waited until the last five minutes of the show to make this announcement I was anxious to hear.

Then, Oprah spoke about the opportunity to host your own TV show, which I later learned was the opportunity to own your own show. When she began talking I sat up in my bed and knew instantly that this was something I could do!! However, there were a couple problems; I didn’t know what type of show I wanted to host; this was well outside of my comfort zone; and there was an element of apprehension, fear, doubt, and nervousness.

The doubt and nervousness was somewhat expected in my mind due to the newness of this venture. I’ve never aspired to be a talk show host. This was not a hobby, nor was hosting identified as a skill I should pursue based on personality traits.

Despite my feelings of anxiety, I pursued what I felt was for me… I started by telling my family the same day I saw the advertisement on Oprah. They took the news fairly well. Their first question was “What kind of show do you want?” Of course I said, “I have no idea.” I told them I would need to explore ideas for my audition tape. I think they wanted to gage how serious I was before committing 100 percent. I went home and prayed.

I knew this idea was given to me, but I needed confirmation and guidance. A few days later I dreamt about being a broadcast news anchor for my own show. In my dream I saw the production crew, staff, the set, etc. So, I created an audition tape based on being a news anchor, uploaded my video, and began my marketing campaign to acquire votes. I shared with friends and other family members that I was auditioning for the contest. I realized slowly that maybe this idea wasn’t as far fetched as I originally thought. Each person I told was very supportive and surprisingly told me that they easily saw me working in this role…Go Figure!! On a daily basis I began to think about potential production company names and show production concepts. I really saw myself moving to Los Angeles.

I thought the feelings of doubt and anxiety was normal because this venture was new. What I realized is that these feelings were not normal. I had lost a measure of confidence. This competition was a catalyst that re-emerged the confident, well-versed, adventurous, capable person! It helped me to remember that it was not normal to have negative thoughts about my capabilities when I have the necessary skills and aptitude.

At the end of my audition tape I thanked Oprah for the opportunity and indicated that now I’m beginning to dream bigger dreams.

I am thankful that Oprah was used as a vessel, but I am most thankful that I was open for the lesson of a lifetime. I do not know what my future holds, but most importantly, I will not allow external circumstances or other people to determine my self-worth. I believe with every fiber of my being and embrace the belief that I have been fearfully and wonderfully made and I can do ALL things…!! I am ready for my next adventure, whether in human resources, some form of media broadcast, or public relations… who knows!!! The great thing is…there are no limitations on my life!!!

The new AIDS gel

It was announced yesterday that a new vaginal gel was proven statistically to reduce the spread of AIDS. This study involved 889 women in South Africa, one-half of the women were given a placebo gel to take before and after intercourse. The other half received a vaginal gel that included the AIDS drug tenovofir. It is the addition of the drug that seems to have made the difference in reducing HIV infection. It was also found that continued use of the gel seemed to strengthen its ability to create a beneficial barrior to the virus.

The vaginal gel is hailed as being particularly useful in Africa because the transmittal of HIV is usually through heterosexual contact and usually through the woman's husband. The gel also cut the transmittal of genital herpes by 51 percent. That was a surprise to researchers.

As happy as I am that there seems to be a rainbow in the doom and gloom of HIV/AIDS, it still concerns me that 39 percent of the women became infected with HIV. If the women are becoming infected by their husbands, what are their husbands doing? Again, I am happy that this drug cuts the transmission of genital herpes, but what is the cause of that?

With the positive outcome of this study and continued research to insure the safety and effectiveness of this product, the vaginal gel can be another useful weapon to fight HIV/AIDS.   But, what brought us here in the first place? What must we do to insure a healthy and prosperous future for our children. I am not advocating, in any way, shape, or form that we not use drugs available to prevent or extend the life of those with HIV/AIDS. I don't even want to play the blame game; and blame those with HIV for the virus that invaded their bodies. I just wonder how we got here in the first place and if this gel will allow women to live promising lives.

Who determines womanhood?

Last week it was announced TO THE WORLD that Caster Semenya is in fact a woman and is able to compete in athletic events as a woman. Why the global effort to determine the gender of one person on this planet? Caster is a runner from South Africa who was beginning to compete on an international scale and as she blew away the rest of the pack the other competitors and coaches began questioning her gender.

It has been almost a year since she was force to undergo testing to determine if she was in fact a woman and able to compete at the highest level she could as an athlete. This testing included specialists in the areas of gynecology, endocrinology, psychology and gender testing. (What if we all had to go through such invasive tests to determine our female hood?)

It was suspected that she was intersex or what was once called hermaphroditism. She could have ambiguous genitalia - testes that may be inside of the body rather than outside or an extra y chromosome instead of the double x that we’ve been told makes us female.

Last year, when this story first broke, the media was agog with Caster; pictures showed her as very muscular with little perhaps non-existent breasts. Even though she was taunted as a child, South Africans seemingly rallied around her when other parts of the world also taunted, criticized and defamed her.

How do we handle it when people are so seemingly different from us?

Are we truly as kind as we should be? Can we go beyond tolerate?

In my book tolerate means I won’t say anything until something sets me off and then I can rant (with those who feel the same way as I do). Again, I tolerate pap smears.

I simply hate the thought of someone being an outcast because of circumstance of birth. Why? Because it sets all of us up to be an outcast. Who determines female hood? Is it simply chromosomes or does it go further into physical attributes; the size of breasts, the width of hips, or the use of our uterus in giving birth to children. It is estimated that approximately one percent of live births in the U.S. are either intersexed or are sexually ambiguous. That includes those people whose genitalia are either not readily apparent or whose chromosomal makeup does not coincide with their physical appearance. Sometimes, we can see the difference, but other times it is left to science to determine.

Being intersexed seems to be purely a physical thing and not something that makes someone a serial killer, rapist, or pedophile. It’s just physical. And while we base many things on someone’s outward appearance shouldn’t we all just be a little bit kinder? In fact, one of the reasons why gender testing on female Olympic athletes was dropped in 1999 was that that they found more than one athlete to have chromosomal differences. (This certainly flies in the face of the high school biology I was taught.) Those women were allowed to compete and so should Caster.

As I listened to some radio disc jockey's make fun of her and read how the other runners viewed her, I was disappointed. It’s so easy to make fun of someone who’s seemingly different from us and challenges our own beliefs of what should be true. But, in this instance, unless we all drop our pants and submit to a chromosome analysis, we will never know for sure if that claim of her being different from us is actually accurate.

Running the Distance

A turning point in the life of a woman who found her passion for running and raising money for children in need.

One step was all it took.

One of the most significant turning points in my life occurred the spring of 2007 when I was challenged to run the Chicago marathon. Several of my friends were doing it, so I quickly succumbed to the peer pressure. So what if the longest distance I had ever run prior to that moment was just over a mile or, a few miles, if you count the treadmill. So what if I had to give up most of my Saturday mornings during training season and proceed to bed at a reasonable hour on Friday nights. At the time, I thought perhaps physically I could be trained to tackle such a challenge, but would my mind see differently? After all, my sister, who’s a seasoned marathon runner, has always shared that running a marathon is only 30 percent physical and 70 percent mental.

When I began this journey, I was also in the process of a job change. Amid four- and five-mile runs during the weekday and several more over the weekend, I was also polishing up my resume and going on interviews. My body, unfamiliar with the grueling rhythm of pain, also had a mind of its own. I distinctly remember arriving for a second interview for the job I’m currently employed with a strained back. It was all I could to avoid grimacing throughout that half-day interview. With each step I took, my body scolded me for the punishment I was putting it through. But as they say, no pain, no gain.

Now gainfully employed, I continued training with Team World Vision, a humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. My goal that first year was to raise $1,000 for the organization.

As the weeks and months crept by, I became more amazed by the mileage my then 32-year-old body had conquered and the fact that my mind hadn’t completed abandoned me. Could this girl who grew up in small town Indiana really manage to cross the finish line of a marathon?

It’s now a week before my first marathon. By that time, I had run 20 miles, the recommended mileage for successfully completing a marathon. My body was feeling good, but internally I was a wreck. I was having nightmares that I would collapse at the finish line. I remember breaking into cold sweats, and the night before I was nauseated and delusional. To top things off, the local weatherman predicted 90-degree temperatures for the day of the marathon. And no, that is not a typo. Chicago in October typically does not reach such high numbers, but of course, the day thousands of people had trained for was expected to be one of the hottest marathons on record. What was I to do?

I awoke promptly at 4:45 the morning of the marathon. After throwing on my World Vision running shirt and my running pants, I grabbed all my other materials and proceeded to the train. It was no surprise that many others were also headed to the train at that hour. Too nervous to eat, I stared out the window and tried to mentally prepare myself for what was about to happen. “You can do this…you can do this,” I repeated to myself several times. I finally arrived downtown to be met by my running partners. Already at start time, the heat was on. To make a long-story short, I remember thinking at mile 3 that this would possibly be one of the worst experiences of my life. Sweating profusely, I asked myself how could I possibly complete 23 more miles in this heat? Needless to say, at mile 16 a police officer stopped me to say the race was canceled. At the time, I thought he was playing a cruel joke on an exhausted, defenseless runner. Was it true? Was the race really canceled? After all the months of training, sweat, and tears? It was indeed, and I was THRILLED to say the least! Unfortunately, shortly before the race concluded, one person had collapsed and died of a heat stroke.

A month later, I realized that it would be senseless to let all my hard work fall to the waste side. I discovered that the Indianapolis marathon would take place in November and I quickly signed up. Although the crowds were not nearly as energetic and visible as they are in the great city of Chicago, I managed to complete my first marathon with my parents and younger brother waiting at the finish line. Although excruciating and tortuous, there are few moments in life that compare to crossing a finish line after running 26.2 miles. In the midst of the pain, there's such pride in accomplishing a goal that seemed so unrealistic at the start. But I was convinced that day that my feet would never cross such a finish line again.

Three years later, I've now completed five marathons—Indianapolis, Chicago twice, Berlin, Germany, and the Marine Corp in Washington, D.C. This year, I recently completed the Cincinnati Merci-Heart 15K with my best time of 1 hr. 31 min., and I'm set to run the Chicago half marathon, full marathon and the Marine Corp again this October. All total, I've completed more than a dozen races. Sufficed to say, I'm hooked!

What has also become a passion is my desire to raise funds for children here and around the globe. Although my fundraising has lapsed briefly, I'm happy to say that I've raised nearly $2,500 for World Vision and plan to continue raising money this year.

Running has developed into a joy that in my wildest dreams I could never have imaged. It provides me energy when I'm feeling lethargic, it helps me stay in one pant size, and it's allowed me to meet so many incredible people from all walks of life. I've never felt better! If I continue to remain strong and healthy, I plan to run at least one marathon a year until I'm 65. Who knew that a challenge by friends could be so life-changing and awe-inspiring.

Would you be a bodyguard?

Last week a Today Show segment featured the growing trend of women becoming bodyguards. Instead of the stereotypical brawny male bodyguard, celebrities and other high profile clients are asking for female bodyguards. Why? Women can be just as well trained in threat assessment, self defense and weapons as a man and we have the added advantage of blending in with our surroundings. In a reversal of feminism (interestingly enough), the bodyguard would be seen by others as a member of the celebrities’ inner circle rather than outside security.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

After I viewed the segment, I fantasized about becoming a bodyguard. I was absolutely fascinated, because it seemed that it would be a complete adrenalin rush. It seemed that I was ignoring the realities of the position. The reality is less glamorous and more about intelligence.

The opening shot of the Today Show was of a no-nonsense woman preparing to shoot. In 2008, Anna Loginova, a very famous and glamorous Russian bodyguard was killed in a carjacking in Moscow. She was a former model who opened her own agency, specializing in female bodyguards. In Egypt, the Falcon Group, also specializes in providing female bodyguards to high profile women in the middle east. They even provided protection for Beyonce for her concert last year. The bodyguards do not carry guns, but are trained in the martial arts. As the role of women in the middle east change and more women travel outside of their homes, it is preferable to have another woman guard them. The owners of the Falcon Group are set to open a second office in Lebanon. In Libya, the most talked about  female bodyguards are those of Muammar Qaddafi who dress in military camouflage and do not blend in at all!

At bodyguardcareers.com, the profile questionnaire was decidedly heavy on military or law enforcement experience. These are backgrounds that are decidedly male dominated, but as more women enter law enforcement and/or the military more women make seek executive protection as a career. That same website touts women as bodyguards.

So, I ask you, would you pursue a career as a bodyguard?

Have you been tested for HIV?

June 27, 2010 is National HIV Testing day. It was founded in 1995 by the National Association of People with AIDS to promote early diagnoses and HIV testing.


As I listened to a PSA for HIV testing, I realized that I had never heard a condom commercial on that same radio station. I like a lot of musical genres, so I listen to a lot of music stations. The Black Eyed Peas, while regularly played on Top 40 or Pop stations, are not always on the play list for R&B stations. The same goes for Lenny Kravitz. And it also seems that way for condom advertisements.

The PSA’s for HIV Testing are part of a CDC outreach effort tailored to the African American community where almost half of all HIV/AIDS infections are diagnosed. According to CDC statistics (2004) AIDS is THE leading cause of death for black women aged 25-34; the third leading cause of death for black women aged 35-44; and the fourth leading cause of death for black women aged 45-54. That is an astounding, unfortunate and sad statistic.

The sadness continued as I learned that most women are infected through UNPROTECTED sex with an infected man. After that, Black women are infected by using tainted needles. Both ways of infection can be prevented, one by condom use and the second by using clean needles. So, it struck me as I listened to the R&B station that I had never heard a condom commercial on that same station; only the HIV PSA's. The PSA’s urge African Americans to test for HIV/AIDS and open a dialog about the disease. I cannot stress how important that is, but I just found the PSA’s…dry. This is no longer a new disease; to not talk about condoms or fresh needles as a means of prevention seems to be a statement that there are some things that we just won’t talk about!

African Americans are not alone in AIDS deaths. AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death for Hispanic women aged 35-44; the fifth leading cause for ALL women aged 35-44 and the sixth leading cause of death for all women aged 25-34.  It seems that this disease is out to catch us all!

So, this is a call to ALL women to protect themselves and to use condoms...regularly…each time…for each sex act. And yes, oral sex is a sex act. Planned Parenthood locations give out free condoms; Wal-Mart (the low cost leader), has the cheapest condoms I’ve found in my area. What is harder to find in most drug and department stores are female condoms and dental dams. I couldn’t find ONE that carried female condoms and/or dental dams and I hit the usually suspects (Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreen's and CVS). Specialty shops or buying online would be your best bet there.

HIV/AIDS is an epidemic and it affects us all, not just African Americans. HIV infection rates are rising in Asia also. For this HIV Testing day (and beyond), do your part to make sure you're safe and healthy.

Get Tested!

Use Condoms!

Use fresh needles!

For more information about the National HIV Testing day, please go to: http://www.aids.gov/awareness-days/national-hiv-testing-day/

For testing sites near you: http://www.hivtest.org/

An Embarrassing Admission

It’s embarrassing to think that I didn’t pay attention to my own history. When I reflect on the history of civil rights or women’s rights, I have painfully ignored many of the women and men who helped secure my liberties and freedoms in this country. Sometimes, the past was just so hurtful; I chose ignorance instead of inquisition. Oh, to be sure, there are standouts that made a impact on my psyche such as Sojourner Truth and her famous “Ain’t I A Woman” speech. But, there are so many more women that I have ignored. Unfortunately, Dorothy Height was one of those women.

On April 10, 2010 Dorothy Height died. She was described as a civil rights leader, president of the National Council of Negro Women, and the only woman to stand on the podium as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I have a Dream speech in 1963.

The only woman.

I have seen the picture hundreds of times, but before, it only showed men. It is only when the focus is expanded do you see Dorothy.

There she is pulled forward, a bit apart from the rest of the crowd, pointedly looking to her right at MLK as he speaks. It is a Mona Lisa expression; a look that holds thousands of thoughts in one simple smile. It seems that she is standing there as a dare.

Mary McLeod Bethune is another woman I have embarrassing ignored. In fact, it is Mary who founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935.  Dorothy, like Mary, also counseled Eleanor Roosevelt on issues relevant to black women and men.  Mary was born in 1875  and died in 1955. Two years after Mary’s death, Dorothy became president of the NCNW and remained in that position until 1997. The NCNW’s mission is to advance the quality of life for African American Women. Mary believed that by advancing the causes of black women, you will advance everyone. (Wow!)

Mary’s history is also storied; she was a member of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Black Cabinet and the founder of a school for girls that eventually became Bethune-Cookman University.

Mary had a mentor in Lucy Craft Laney, a former slave who founded Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Augusta, Georgia. Lucy’s educational philosophies influenced Mary and her drive to educate black women. (Thank you!)

I have read that women do not make very good mentors. We will only take someone under our wing for a short time, but very often kick them out of the nest before they are ready or before they become a threat to our sense of accomplishment. These women, the ones that I have tried to ignore because they looked so harsh or unfashionable in pictures, are my mentors.  For ALL women, the foundations have been laid before us by others who worked so hard so that we could live our dreams.

Their work and their lives deserve attention. We won’t make it on our own.


Read: Dahleen Glanton's article in the Chicago Tribune for more information about Dorothy Height and other women civil rights leaders.

Where's The Professional Hockey League for Women?

Last night was game six five of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals. Normally, I wouldn’t pay much attention to the finals of any major sport but this is the first time since 1971 that the Chicago Blackhawks have been in the Stanley Cup finals. The operative word is Chicago and this town has Blackhawk fever! Hockey has been the lead for local newscasts. News anchors, shuttled to Philadelphia, give commentary on Philly Steak sandwiches when the players are not on the ice, and of course, hockey is on the front page of the major newspapers. With all of the commotion, I thought about female hockey players. Just as there are no women in the NBA or MLB, there are no women in the NHL.

The last major stories about women in hockey were reports from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The story about Canada women winning gold was overshadowed by pictures of the gold medal team drinking alcohol and smoking cigars…on the ice…after the medal ceremony. Shades of Brandi Chastain doffing her shirt after making the winning goal in the finals of the world cup soccer! Women do such shocking things! Thank goodness. Unfortunately, at least one player was under the legal age limit to consume alcohol and she was caught…in pictures…drinking…and smoking. Not cool at all.

Alcohol aside, where is the professional women’s hockey league?

In researching this post, I read about Karen Koch, the first woman to play professional hockey in NORTH AMERICA. She played for the semi-pro Marquette Iron Rangers team. She was signed on at the age of 18 in 1969. She was the only woman on that team. In 2003, Manon Rhéaume played in pre-season games for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lighting. Manon was a silver medalist in the 1998 Olympic Games; the first time women’s hockey was played as an Olympic sport. But these women seem to be few and far between and although there have been leagues for women to play in, most notably the National Women’s Hockey League, Western Women’s Hockey League, and Canadian Women’s Hockey League. The National Women’s Hockey League is now defunct. Was money a factor in its demise? That’s a situation that seems to haunt women’s leagues including the WNBA.

Will there ever be a time when women’s teams are funded enough so that female athletes can make a living by playing sport? What are the problems associated with women’s leagues that make it difficult to support? There has been talk of partnering with the NHL in order to form a women's professional league, but so far I haven’t found that it has gone beyond talk.

Hey, I’ve take the easy way out and thought that it’s probably better that we don’t have the leagues. Why? Well, I’ve never given myself a clear answer on “why” we shouldn’t, but it probably has to do with rocking the boat and “What if”. But, what if we allowed ourselves to dream of these leagues being successful? What if we then allowed ourselves to work toward the success of the leagues? Would it be so bad? Would it be so awful to view women as professional players who make a living playing a game they love?

Would it be so awful?

Memorial Day: Women in the Military

In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to share a list of women who ranked highest in the U.S. military; specifically, generals or admirals. It didn't matter if they were currently serving, retired or deceased. This was going to be my way of acknowledging the women who decided to work in a very hierarchical and patriarchal environment. That is not to say that those of us who work in corporate, non-profit, or family owned businesses aren’t confronted with the same attitudes that exist in the military, but seriously, we’re not commuting to a war zone every day.

I thought it would be an easy list to complete. I was wrong. There is still only one woman who has received the rank of four star general , General Ann E. Dunwoody, but many more have obtained one, two, or three stars or flags (Navy). Many women in the military are continuing to break the mold and are being promoted to positions that  women have not held previously.

I do not blindly support wars or the military but, I believe these women should be honored for their perseverance, tenacity, courage and their decision to work in very difficult situations daily.

This is not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good starting point as we think of the women and men serving in the armed forces this Memorial Day.

Women Generals:

Ann E. Dunwoody, General, Army, 1st woman four star general

Anna Mae Hays, Brigadier General, Army, 1st woman to be promoted to general  rank

 Elizabeth P. Hoisington, Brigadier General, Army, 2nd woman promoted to general rank**

Alene Duerk, Rear Admiral, Navy
Ann E. Rondeau, Vice Admiral, Navy
Carol Mutter, Lieutenant General, Marines*
Clara Adams-Ender, General, Army*
Claudia Kennedy, Lieutenant General, Army*
Eleanor Mariano, Rear Admiral, Navy*
Fran McKee, Rear Admiral, Navy**
Grace Hopper, Rear Admiral, Navy**
Jeanne M. Holm, Major General, Air Force**
Leslie F. Kenne, Lieutenant General, Air Force*
Patricia Ann Tracey, Vice Admiral, Navy*
Susan J. Helms, Brigadier General, USAF, former astronaut
Terry Gabreski, Lieutenant General, Air Force*
Vivien S. Crea, Rear Admiral, Coast Guard*

*Retired
**Deceased

Interesting Books:

Women Warriors: A History by David E. Jones

The Girl’s Come Marching Home: Stories of women warriors returning from the war in Iraq by Kirsten A. Holmstedt

Patriots in Disguise: Women Warriors of the Civil War by Richard Hall

Moving Beyond G.I. Jane: women and the U.S. military by Sara Zeigler


I would be interested in any additional information about women in the military.

Kung Fu Grannies: The Most Honored Women

When I read the headline “Kung fu grannies ready to fight rapists” I immediately clicked on the link. I was angry. I love the martial arts and I think self defense is necessary for all women and girls, but I wondered who would harm someone’s grandmother?

The article goes on to state that “1 in 5 rape victims in Kenya is over the age of 60” and the men rape the grandmothers in the belief that they will be cured of AIDS or that they will be “cleansed” of prior crimes. I’m not sure I believe any of the reasons. What’s going to cleanse them of the crime of rape? The police are not helping the grandmothers either, because rape is viewed as a crime of “pleasure”. That is an insult. But, the grandmothers are incredible; some have been taking classes for two years! And because of the death of their own children due to AIDS, many of the grandmothers are raising their grandchildren. They help define womanhood for me. These women should be honored, not only for the responsibilities they are shouldering in raising grandchildren, but the responsibility they have shown in protecting themselves.

Read the full MSNBC story by Tom Odula: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37134218/ns/health-womens_health/