A Musical and Literary Tribute for D-Day

June 6, 2019June 27, 2019 Lynette M Burrows

Yesterday was the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the day that changed history. The Allies sent soldiers in a massive assault against the Germans. Thousands went into battle. Thousands died, thousands were injured. We honor this day and remember those who fought and those who died. There is little new to be said, but we mustn’t forget the men and women who sacrificed to stop the fascists. This musical and literary tribute for D-Day is a small attempt to honor those whose lives were forever changed because of World War II. “I’ll Be Seeing You” Billie Holiday, 1938 Billie Holliday sang this soulful song in 1938. In the lyrics she tells her love she will see him everywhere she looks (even though he’s gone away). It became the farewell anthem for soldiers and has been sung by many others. The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank © 1947 German-born and Jewish, Anne Frank got a diary for her thirteenth birthday. A short while later, she and her family went into hiding. Her diary shares details of her daily life, her wishes, and her desires until the Nazis captured her and her family. She died in a concentration camp at the […]

You Wouldn’t Be Here Without Them

March 27, 2019March 26, 2019 Lynette M Burrows

As March, Women’s History Month, comes to a close in a few more days. Let’s take a moment to honor women of history one more time. Only this time we’re not talking about women who made notable history. We’re talking about the women who had the strength to get through the next day after the next. You wouldn’t be here without them. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. – Jane Goodall Who Were They? It doesn’t matter that we know few if any of these names. They were mothers and grandmothers and aunts and cousins and sisters and daughters. Most of these women passed through the world with little fanfare. What They Did They may have invented new methods for their daily work. Perhaps they created art or stories or music. They did what they had to do, what needed to be done, and if they were lucky, a little of what they wanted to do. And while a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, may remember these things for a generation or two, they are mostly forgotten. These are the women who changed the world. They […]

Women Empowering Women

March 25, 2019March 24, 2019 Lynette M Burrows

Women empowering women is a strong and beautiful act. How does this happen? Women lift others with their voices through song, art, dance, speech, poems, stories, and mentorship and so many other ways including small acts of kindness. Art Feminist art emerged in the 1960s. From sculpture to paintings to drawings and performances, these artists highlight societal and political differences associated with gender identity. Here’s a list of 15 artists to get you started. POETRY Poetry, or words that make music in your heart, has many forms. And there are thousands of strong women poets. Below are two examples. “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou “You are more than beautiful” by Rupi Kaur SPEECH 2014 Emma Watson gave this fabulous speech at the UN launcing the HeForShe campaign. There are many, many TED talks about women’s rights and empowerment. Here’s a list of 3,000 titles. BOOKS There are many nonfiction books and many fiction books that tell the story of women empowering other women or themselves. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Margarot Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, and Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things To Me, are a very small sample. MUSIC Songs of celebration to songs of protest, music has always been […]