With nowhere to go, my time on social media has greatly increased over the past several months. I spend far too much time scrolling through Instagram and not enough time reading books and practicing self-care. However, I have made it my mission to fill my timeline with women who inspire me to do better. Here are three really awesome women that you need to be following.
AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, better known as AOC, has made quite a name for herself over the past couple of years. She gained nation-wide recognition after winning the Democratic Party’s primary election for New York’s 14th congressional district in 2018. She beat Joe Crowley, who was a 10-term incumbent, off of a grassroots campaign and then beat Republican Anthony Pappas in the general election later that year. You can watch it all play out in the documentary Knock Down the House on Netflix. Since then, her social media following has grown exponentially. If you scroll through her Instagram account you’ll see that it’s filled with inspiring messages, both political and non-political. She fights for a wide range of progressive policies, and her inspiring speeches have a way of making you want to fight with her.
Rachel Elizabeth Cargle
Rachel Elizabeth Cargle is a public academic, writer, and lecturer who focuses on “providing intellectual discourse, tools, and resources that explore the intersection of race and womanhood,” according to her website. As a woman of color herself, she saw a need for change and founded the Loveland Foundation, which is a non-profit that works to boost access to therapy for black women. She also created The Great Unlearn which is an online learning platform that highlights academics of color. It’s a place where people can go and become more educated about ways in which they can take action. Cargle now uses her personal Instagram to encourage people to understand and speak out against racism in our society. Her posts are filled with inspiring words that every woman needs to hear.
Glennon Doyle
Author and philanthropist Glennon Doyle recently gained recognition after she published her third book Untamed. Her female-empowering memoir details the freedom she felt once she discovered she needed to stop listening to how the world told her to live and began living for herself. The inspirational read will definitely have you feeling like you can do absolutely anything. Doyle also created Together Rising, which is a non-profit organization that “transforms collective heartbreak into effective action.” From helping children in refugee camps to the opioid crisis, Doyle’s foundation has touched it all. Her Instagram is filled with inspiring quotes and life-lessons to give you that extra push when you’re feeling down. Lately, she’s been inspiring people around the world to vote, while also posting funny light-hearted videos of her and her wife Abby Wambach.
Author: Ashli Ellerman