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TV host Piers Morgan recently blasted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as being the "most woke, over-sensitive, woe-is-me couple in the world".

But what does the term "woke" actually mean? Here's what we know:

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According to the Oxford English Dictionary "woke" is defined as: "Originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice."

The Urban Dictionary, however, simply says: "Being woke means being aware

knowing whats going on in the community (related to racism and social injustice)."

To summarise: woke means a person is consciously awake.

The word first came into circulation in the 1800s when it simply meant the state of not being asleep.

And it started emerging in Black English at least by the 1940s, according to dictionary.com.

An "Atlantic" article from 1943 reportedly quoted a black United Mine Workers official from 1940 playing with wokein a metaphor for social justice:Waking up is a damn sight than going to sleep, but well stay woke up longer.

By the 1960s, woke was still used in the context of political awareness, especially regarding the Civil Rights Movement in the 195060s.

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The term even prompted a 1962 New York Times article commenting on black slang, titled If Youre Woke You Dig It".

A 1972 play about the black nationalist Marcus Garvey, Garvey Lives! by Barry Beckham, used woke for awareness of racial injustice in the black community.

A line reads: I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr Garvey done woke me up, Im gon' stay woke. And Im gon' help him wake up other black folk.

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In 2012, unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead in Florida by neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

The shooting sparked the Black Lives Matter movement amid a public outcry over the gunman's controversial acquittal.

Many in the black community issued calls to "stay woke" to the discrimination and injustice black people face in the US, particularly in the form of police brutality.

Under the hashtag #staywoke on social media, the term took off again in 2014 after the tragic shooting of two other young, unarmed black men by police officers.

Read more:
What does woke mean? Definition and meaning explained - The Sun

Sean Bell, above, one of the many Black victims of racist American policing.

The following is an excerpt from the upcoming book "The Roots of Racism in American Policing: From Slave Patrols to Stop-and-Frisk." Over the next few weeks, the Black Star News will be publishing selected portions from the book. This excerpt is from the book's preface.

Over the last several years, especially since the killings of Eric Garner on July 17, 2014, in Staten Island, New York; and that of Michael Brown on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri; the everyday brutality Black America receives at the hands of police has been nakedly exposed for all to see.

In the weeks and months after the deaths of Garner and Brown, we witnessed an ongoing orgy of unjustified killings and murders of Black men, and women, perpetrated by police. The ubiquity of video and cellphone technology revealed outrage after outrage.

That trend continueswith police killings like that of 26-year-old St. Lucian native Botham Jean, on September 6, 2018, in Dallas, Texas; and the more recent killing of 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson. Both Jean and Jefferson were killed inside their homes.

Racist American policing brutalizes all types of Black peoplenot just those who are characterized as criminals and thugs. Weve seen well-to-do and rich Black Americans being harassed as like everyone else. We should remember when Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was manhandled and arrested by police on July 16, 2009, at his Cambridge, Massachusetts home after someone thought Dr. Gates must be a burglar and couldnt really live in such an affluent neighborhood.

Comedian Chris Rock has also complained about being profiled several times as he was driving while Black. And, on August 26, 2017, Seattle Seahawks football star Michael Bennett (who everyone agrees is the kind of role model for kids to emulate) had a gun pulled on him, by an Arizona policeman, while he was face down on the ground. According to Bennett, the officer told him if he moved, he would blow my fucking head off.

From Black men and women, to Black boys and girls, old and young, none are immune from the viciousness of White Americas institution of racial policing. The bad apples argument police apologists parrot, to excuse police barbarisms, that are primarily perpetrated on Black folk, have been debunked by the sheer regular frequency of these atrocities.

The real truth, as it relates to Black Americans, is that: the police represent a domestic terrorist organization that is sanctioned by Americas White political structure to control Black people. This has always been so.

Black Americans must realize that anything good done by police to Blacks, in Black communities, is merely incidental or accidental. Good deeds by police towards us are anomalies that happen primarily because of the conscience and humanity of some copsand not because of America's institution of policing. Police are not there to protect and serve Blacks. There are there to oppress us.

This is why police who brazenly kill, and murder Blacks, are protected by this racist system. This is why there is a Blue Wall of Silence, which facilitates the cover-up culture of cop corruption and allows for its continuance. Why dont more good cops speak out and expose the bigots, brutes, and killers amongst them?

When some cops try to do the right thing by speaking out, they are called rats and snitches and are ostracized, like former NYPD Officer Adrian Schoolcraft and NYPD Officer Adhyl Polanco. Some, like former NYPD Detective Frank Serpico, nearly lost his life (on February 3, 1971in Brooklyn) after he was left without backup as he tried to arrest an armed suspect, who shot him in the face. This was done because Serpico dared to speak out against the corruption he saw in the NYPD.

Even worse, with a wink-and-nod, bigoted police behavior is blessed by corrupt, often grandstanding, American politicians and those in the American court system. Indeed, they assist the abuses of their police partners in crime and are complicit in their atrocities against African-Americans.

Why does the White American political system permit police to treat Black people this way?

Well, some will say, or insinuate, that Black Americans commit an inordinate amount of the crime in America. Indeed, former Secretary of Education William Bennett, who served under President Ronald Reagan, once opined on his radio show, that "If you wanted to reduce crime, you couldif that were the sole purposeyou could abort every Black baby in this country and the crime rate would go down." No doubt, many White Americans, and even some Black Americans, have been indoctrinated into this warped racist view of crime as it relates to Blacks, and believe it.

But, we must remember this: White America has always demonized and criminalize those they have wronged and exploited. Native-Americans were called savages and portrayed despicably in Hollywood Western movies (with racist frauds like John Wayne often playing the role of the valiant White savior) to justify the genocidal actionsand the land-theft of White-Europeans. Similar methods, like the American minstrel tradition, where White actors wore blackface, were used to denigrate African-Americans.

D.W Griffiths 1915 silent film Birth of a Nation did much to criminalize African-Americans in the minds of Whites. One of the films main charge is portraying Black men as the serial rapists of White women. The historical records show us that White men are, in fact, the main serial rapists in American societywho got plenty of practice raping Black women over the centuries.

President Woodrow Wilson, one of Americas most racist presidents, gave a viewing of this contemptible piece of propaganda in the White House. Reportedly, (some contest this) he said, of this character assassination movie, "It is like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true."

In terms of the contemporary criminalization of Blacks by White America, we must understand this: the statistics these folks use to justify the bogus claim, that Blacks commit more crime, is largely manufactured and manipulated to create the desired results. Dr. Amos Wilson, in his book Black-on-Black Violence: The Psychodynamics of Black Self-Annihilation in Service of White Domination, pointed out that these crime statistics are used to create the false and scandalous impression that African-Americans have some sort of monopoly on crime and are inherently more criminal than are White Americans. Over the years, weve heard much talk about Black-on-Black crime. This malicious characterization seeks to give the deceitful impression that Blacks commit crimes against Blacks at higher rates than other racial groups do against their own. Of course, this is false stereotypingand is an example of the racist mindset of those who have always criminalized Blacks, by finding devious ways to promote prejudice.

Relevant statistics show us that crime, in America, happens, largely, within all racial groups. The segregated nature of American society has much to do with this reality. Some also like to insinuate that Black-Americans are prone to attacking White-Americans at high rates, a claim white supremacist killer Dylann Roof (who murdered 9 Black parishioners on June 17, 2015, in South Carolina) made. However, the reverse is true: Blacks are more likely to be the target of vicious racist attacks by Whites.

From the days of Slavery, to the days when KKK nightriders went around lynching Blacks, thru the Jim Crow Era, to the present where police murder us with impunity in 21st Century America, Whites have always had an obsessive penchant for shedding Black blood. Indeed, murdering Black people was a rites-of-passage for White men and boys.

Today, we now have other traditionally non- White people deciding they too can arbitrarily kill Black people. Such was the case when wannabe cop, George Zimmerman, killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida.

Read more from the original source:
THE ROOTS OF RACISM IN AMERICAN POLICING: FROM SLAVE PATROLS TO STOP-AND FRISK (BOOK EXCERPT #1) - Black Star News

WASHINGTON These days, it feels like theres a petition for every cause imaginable. Saving the Amazon rainforest?Check. Making Baby Yoda an emoji? Alsocheck. But some petitions are more successful than others.

The petition-hosting site Change.org considers a number of factors in determining which had the biggest impact: the number of people who signed, the zeitgeist and the conversations sparked and whether anything changed as a result, said Michael Jones, the platforms managing director of campaigns.

People really see online petitions as a tool to help them fix something that is systemically broken, Jones said.

Over the past decade, people took to Change.org to raise attention to criminal justice issues, honor community heroes and challenge pharmaceutical companies and other businesses.

These are 10 of the biggest victories, according to Change.org.

After 17-year-old Trayvon Martin waswas killedon February 26, 2012, his parents Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fultonstarted a petitioncalling for the arrest of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch leader who shot him.

More than 2.2 million people signed in support of the cause. Within a week, it had become the one of themost popular petitionsin the websites history, with 877,110 signatures.

The local tragedy soon became an international movement. Civil rights activists, politicians and protesters rallied behind Trayvons family and took to the streets to demonstrate against his killing.

In April 2012, Change.org declared the petition a victory after a Florida state attorney announced that charges of second-degree murder would be lodged against Zimmerman.

Zimmerman wasacquittedin 2013. But Trayvons death forced a conversation about police brutality and inequality and helped give rise to one of the most prominent movements of the decade: Black Lives Matter.

Zimmermanis now suingTrayvons parents, prosecutors and state authorities, alleging there was a conspiracy to frame him and demanding more than $100 million in damages.

Trayvons parents and their attorney called the lawsuit unfounded and reckless.

Maryland high school student Sydney Helfandstarted a petitionin January urging Congress to pass the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act to make animal cruelty a federal felony.

The PACT Act had come extremely close to becoming law in 2017. Though the Senatepassed it unanimously, it stalled in the House.

Nearly 800,000 people signed the petition and in November, theSenate passed the bipartisan legislationthat the House had approved a month earlier.

US Rep. Ted Deutch of Floridacredited Helfand, in part, for the bills success. President Donald Trumpsigned the PACT Actinto law.

As thetrial of Casey Anthony, who was accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008, played out in 2011,a petitioncalled for the creation of Caylees Law, which would make it a felony for a parent of a guardian to fail to report a missing child if the child could be in danger.

It was one of the first petitions of the decade to go viral, Change.org says, ultimately attracting more than 1.3 million signatures.

At least 10 statessince then have passed versions of Caylees Law. Critics say the laws wouldnegatively affectmostly innocent parents who may be grieving the tragic loss of a child.

Death row prisoner Rodney Reed was sentenced more than 20 years ago for the 1996 murder of 19-year-old Stacey Stites in Bastrop, Texas.

Reed says he is innocent, and attorneys from the Innocence Project say they have evidence that exonerates him. The lead prosecutor in his case maintains that he is guilty.

Reed was scheduled to be executed on November 20. But in the weeks leading up to that date,outcry to stop the execution grew from supporters, including celebrities, clergy and lawmakers.

More than 2 million people signed a petition atfreerodneyreed.com, and apetition on Change.orggarnered more than 300,000 signatures.

Days before he was scheduled to die, the Texas Court of Criminal Appealsblocked Reeds execution, allowing a lower court to consider additional evidence.

After West Coast rapper and activistNipsey Husslewas killed in 2019, Najee Ali, a community organizer and Los Angeles resident,called on a city councilmanto name an intersection for the artist.

More than 500,000 people signed the petition in the days after Nipseys death. Less than two weeks later, the Los Angeles City Councilvoted unanimouslyto rename the intersection of West Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard in South Central Los Angeles as Nipsey Hussle Square. Its thesite of Nipseys Marathon Clothing store, near where he wasfatally shot.

After a woman who goes by K said she was sexually assaulted by a tour guide who worked at a business promoted by TripAdvisor, she contacted the website in an effort to warn other tourists,The Guardian reportedin March.

But the company suggested that she leave a review about the incident,K said in a Change.org petition. When she wrote a review, TripAdvisor did not publish it because it wasnt written as first-person account, according to The Guardian.

With the help of the Change.org team, Kstarted a petitiondemanding that TripAdvisor stop covering up sexual assaults, calling on the company to do more to warn users about businesses where assaults had been reported.

The petition received more than 500,000 signatures in the weeks after, and TripAdvisorannounced changesto how it handles reviews and reports of sexual assault. But K and other activists maintained that the company still hadnt gone far enough.

After protests outside TripAdvisors New York offices and continued pressure, the companyannounced further changesto its policies, including commitments to partner with sexual assault support groups.

In June, K declared that the petition had been successful.

With these updates, TripAdvisor has shown that they are committed to both improving the experience for survivors and providing people with the information they need to travel safely, she wrote. Im thrilled to declare our campaign a victory.

After 12 years as a Scout, Ryan Andresen was told by his Boy Scout troop in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012 that he couldnt receive the Eagle Scout award, the highest rank in the organization.

The reason? Because he had come out as gay.

Ryans mother Karen Andresenstarted a petitionto protest the troops decision, garnering hundreds of thousands of signatures andnational media attention.

In ahistoric decisionin 2013, the Boy Scouts of America voted to end its ban on openly gay youth. But it wasnt until 2015 that the organization announced it wouldlift its banon gay adult leaders.

When she was 16 years old,Cyntoia Brownwas tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison for killing a man who had bought her for sex.

Years after her sentencing, her case gained widespread attention and inspired the viral hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown after A-list celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West publicly advocated for Browns release.

In 2018, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that Brown must serve at least 51 years in prison before she would be eligible for release. After that ruling, apetition on Change.orgcalled for then-Gov. Bill Haslam to grant her clemency.

He did so in January, and Brown wasreleased from prisonin August at the age of 31.

In July, Teva Pharmaceuticals announced it had made a business decision todiscontinue Vincristine a drug used to treat childhood cancers including leukemia, lymphoma and brain tumors.

Childhood cancer survivor and pediatric oncology nurse Liliana Haas said the drug helped save her life and the lives of many children she works with each day. So, shetook to Change.orgin October to demand that the pharmaceutical company bring the drug back.

More than 215,000 people signed the petition, and the issue garnerednational media attention. In November, Teva Pharmaceuticalresponded directlyto Haas petition and announced it would again start producing the life-saving drug.

Five years after a New York Police Department officer was accused of fatally choking Eric Garner, theJustice Department announcedit would not bring charges against him.

Days later, Emerald Snipes Garner, Eric Garners youngest daughter,launched a petitiondemanding that NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo be fired.

The petition received more than 144,000 signatures. Protesters interrupted the Democratic presidential debate in July to call attention to the issue, and New York Mayor and then-presidential candidate Bill de Blasio was asked why Pantaleo was still on the force.

In August, New York Police Commissioner James ONeillfired Pantaleo. Heis suingto get his job back.

Link:
10 petitions that made the biggest impact this decade - fox5sandiego.com

December 31 always marks the end of the year, but in 2019, it marks the end of a decade. In Florida, the past 10 years were defined by horrific tragedies, natural disasters, historic court cases, iconic sports teams and the quintessential (and often bizarre) "Florida Man" story. Tears were shed, local activists strove to make national change, a banana was duct-taped to a wall and was sold for millions of dollars and the Sunshine State was the epicenter of all things tragic, wonderful and weird.

Heres a look at the stories that defined the past decade.

No hurricanes had hit Florida since 2005 before Hermine made landfall near the Big Bend in 2016 as a Category 1. In 2017, Hurricane Irma hit Florida as a Category 4 storm: 12 patients at a Hollywood nursing home died of heat exposure after Irma knocked out the air conditioner. Three nurses and an administrator were charged recently with their deaths. The strongest hurricane was Michael, which struck the Panhandle as a Category 5 in October 2018, killing 43 and devastating the town of Mexico Beach.

Four times Florida found itself in the 2010s dealing with a high-profile mass shooting, leaving 74 victims dead, changes to its gun laws and a group of motivated young survivors who pushed their message nationally.

It began in June 2016 when security guard Omar Mateen attacked Orlando's Pulse nightclub, killing 49. During the standoff, Mateen told negotiators he had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State and the attack was revenge for U.S. intervention in Iraq and Syria. He died when officers broke through a wall to engage him. The assault on the gay nightclub was deemed a terrorist attack.

In January 2017, Iraq War veteran Esteban Santiago flew from his Alaska home to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where he fatally shot five people. Santiago pleaded guilty and is serving a life sentence.

A year later, also in Broward County, a 19-year-old former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student returned to the Parkland campus on Valentine's Day and opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle, killing 17. Suspect Nikolas Cruz had a history of violent behavior, but calls to the FBI and Broward Sheriff's Office warning he might attack a school were not investigated. Weeks later, Scott and the Legislature outlawed the sale of rifles to most people under 21 and allowed judges to ban those deemed dangerous from owning guns for a year. Stoneman Douglas survivors founded the March For Our Lives" movement that has pushed for tougher gun laws nationwide. Cruz is awaiting trial next year.

This month, Saudi Arabian air force 2nd Lt. Mohammed Alshamrani opened fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola, killing three American sailors before a sheriff's deputy killed him. Investigators have called it a terrorist attack.

In 2010, basketball's biggest star Lebron James kicked off the decade by announcing he would be taking his talents to South Beach. His arrival in Miami completed a series of off-season moves that created the Big Three: James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

After four straight trips to the NBA Finals, which resulted in two championships and two MVPs for James, the trio disbanded in 2014. Lebron returned to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Bosh and Wade were forced to keep the magic alive. Unfortunately, Lebron's departure left a void in Miami's championship ways, but the banners still hang in what will soon become the former American Airlines Arena.

At the tail end of the decade, unofficial ambassador to Wade-County Dwyane Wade announced his retirement. The Miami legend went on a successful farewell tour and ended his career with one final all-star appearance.

Florida murder trials captured national attention twice in the early 2010s. In both, the suspect was acquitted.

The first was Casey Anthony, who went on trial in 2011 for the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, whose body was found near the family's Orlando home five months after she disappeared. Prosecutors said Anthony, 25 when the trial began, killed her daughter because she hated parenting and then lied to investigators. Anthony's attorney stunned observers during opening statements when he alleged Caylee accidentally drowned in the family's pool and Casey's father dumped the body. The attorney presented no evidence supporting that claim, but the jury acquitted Anthony of murder, finding her guilty only of lying.

The next year, neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a fight that began as the African-American teen walked to his father's fiancee's house in the central Florida city of Sanford. Prosecutors charged Zimmerman, who identifies as Hispanic, with second-degree murder, saying he stalked the teen, provoking the altercation. Zimmerman's attorneys argued that Martin attacked Zimmerman and was bashing his head when the neighborhood watchman fired. Zimmerman was acquitted, but has been arrested since on domestic violence and other charges. He recently sued Martin's family, prosecutors and others for $100 million, saying they fabricated evidence against him.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft found himself in an embarrassing plight in February when prosecutors charged him with paying for sex at a Palm Beach County massage parlor. He apologized but challenged the legality of video recordings that allegedly show him and others engaged in sex. The judge threw out the video, but prosecutors have appealed.

When 2010 began, Rick Scott was nearly unknown. The wealthy former hospital CEO had been forced out in 1997 after Columbia/HCA came under investigation for Medicare fraud. Scott was never charged, but the company paid $1.7 billion in fines. Scott, riding the tea party wave, announced early that year he would seek the Republican gubernatorial nomination against state Attorney General Bill McCollum. Scott won and narrowly defeated Democrat Alex Sink in the general election, spending $75 million of his own money. Scott won re-election in 2014 over former Gov. Charlie Crist, who changed his registration from Republican to Democrat. In 2018, Scott challenged Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who was seeking a fourth term. Scott narrowly won, ending Nelson's long career that included stints in state government and the U.S. House.

When 2016 dawned, it appeared Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio could be the Republican presidential nominee. But Trump beat both and then carried the state that November, edging Hillary Clinton. In 2019, Trump announced he was changing his official residence from New York City to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.

In 2018, Republicans won their sixth straight gubernatorial election as former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis edged Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.

In 2013, Miami-born Steven Sotloff was working as a freelance journalist before he was kidnapped after crossing into Syria from Turkey. The following year, he was beheaded by ISIS, and the brutal killing was recorded and distributed around the world.Sotloff's beheading, along with fellow journalist James Foley's death a month prior, raised awareness of the Islamic State. The 31-year-old told stories about conflict in the Middle East and was remembered as a "voice for the voiceless."

In February 2010, a SeaWorld Orlando killer whale named Tillikum fatally attacked trainer Dawn Brancheau as terrified spectators watched. Her death was the focus of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which criticized SeaWorld's captivity of killer whales. The company's income and SeaWorld parks attendance fell after the movie's release. SeaWorld eventually ended the orca shows.

On July 8, 2011, NASA launched Atlantis on the 135th and final space shuttle mission. Since then, no astronauts have rocketed into orbit from Florida or anywhere else in the U.S. The drought may end next year; SpaceX and Boeing are getting closer to launching astronauts to the International Space Station under NASAs commercial crew program.

Moonlight, a film shot and based in Miami, won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2017. The movie is based on a true South Florida story about a young man growing up in a tough neighborhood, grappling with his sexuality. It was directed by Miami native Barry Jenkins, cost just $1.5 million to make and brought in just $22 million at the box office making it one of the lowest-grossing films to win the best picture award.

See the article here:
The Top Florida Stories of the Decade - NBC 6 South Florida

What a difference a decade makes. From 2009 to 2019, women around the world have made monumental strides challenging the status quo in media, politics and activism. There have been some wins, some hard lessons, and some new beginnings.

In no particular order, here are 29 times women and girls around the world made a positive dent in the decade in the name of equality and saving the planet. There are many more were these came from. Please add any that come to mind in the comments section below!

2016: When The Women Of Standing Rock Protected Their Water

In the protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, Native American women instrumental in inspiring action across the U.S. Since early 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, have been resisting the construction of the $3.7 billion-dollar pipeline, which would transport 470,000 barrels of oil every day and threaten the land and waterways, including the Missouri River, which provide drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux.

2014: When Malala Yousafzai Was Named Youngest Nobel Laureate In History

In October 2014, then 17-year-old Yousafzai became co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the suppression of young people and for the right of all children to have an education. On 9 October 2012, while on a bus in her native Swat District of northwest Pakistan, Yousafzai and two other girls were shot by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt against her activism. Following her recovery, Yousafzaico-founded the Malala Fund, a non-profit that advocates for girls education, and in 2013 co-authored the international bestseller I Am Malala.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai poses for photo session during the G7 Development and ... [+] Education Ministers Meeting, in Paris, on July 5, 2019. - France is hosting the rotating presidency of the G7 in 2019. The 45th G7 Summit will be held in August 2019 in Biarritz. (Photo by Christophe PETIT TESSON / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/AFP via Getty Images)

2013: When Womens Leadership in Rwandas Parliament Skyrocketed

Following the genocide of Rwanda in 1994, the country was left in turmoil with a death toll between 800,000 to 1 million. Holding a population of 6 million, 60 to 70 percent were womenmeaning more women needed to step up to the plate for leadership positions. And they did. In the 2003 election, 48 percent of parliamentary seats went to women. Five years, later womens representation rose to 56 percent. In 2013, the number climbed to 64 percent. Rwanda is the first country in the world which women have moved beyond half of political leadership.

2010: When Ai-jen Poo Led Americas First Domestic Workers Bill Of Rights Campaign

Community organizer and founder of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo, has been advocating for the rights of domestic workers for more than a decade, and with good reason. Most nannies, house keepers, and hired caregivers have lacked basic protection, such as minimum wage, unemployment benefits, and protection from abuse. Poo led Americas first campaign for the Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights, which was designed to ensure overtime pay, paid vacation, and basic human and civil rights protections for over 200,000 workers in the state of New York.

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA - FEBRUARY 02: National Domestic Workers Alliance director Ai-Jen Poo ... [+] speaks at the AOL 2016 MAKERS conference at Terranea Resort on February 2, 2016 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

2018: When Saudi Women Activists Campaigned For The Right To Drive & Won

In June 2018, Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on womens right to drive. While this was a win for women of the country and for those who led the campaign for years, a number of the human rights defenders involved in moving the culture forward including, Loujain al-Hathloul, Iman al-Nafjan and Aziza al-Yousef were put in prison. According to Amnesty International, Nafjan, Yousef and Ruqayyaa al-Mhareb were provisionally releasedon 28 March. But the others are still detained. So in some ways, this was a partial win and a total call to action.

Saudi Majdoleen Mohammed Alateeq, a newly-licensed Saudi driver, prepares for driving her car near ... [+] her home in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on June 24, 2018. - Saudi Arabia ended its longstanding ban on women driving on June 24, 2018 -- and the second the clock struck midnight, women across the country started their engines. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

2016: When Beyonc Broke The Internet With The Premiere of Lemonade

When Queen Bey dropped her visual album Lemonade and shredded the internet, many music critics and fans across social media said the piece was an ode to black feminism. But that didnt stop women of a number of races from feeling like she was singing to and with them. Through the songs and short films of Lemonade, Beyonc delivered poetic prose and anthems paying homage to New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina, Malcolm X, black men shot by white police officers, the mothers of Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, her daughter Blue, and a number of her friends in entertainment and the arts. As Miriam Bale wrote in Billboard, the album emphasized the concept of turning nothing in something. Lemonade is even stronger than blood.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 14: Beyonce Knowles-Carter attends the European Premiere of Disney's "The ... [+] Lion King" at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 14, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney)

2013 - When The Women Of Black Lives Matter Started A Worldwide Movement

Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi initially tweeted #BlackLivesMatter in response to the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in Sanford, FL. Shortly after Zimmerman was acquitted the hashtag quickly evolved into a movement and global network of more than 40 chapters. In 2013 and 2014, #BlackLivesMatter was used as an organizing too, as other groups harnessed it to combat racism across the U.S. In October, the project announced that it is currently fighting disinformation about black organizers.

Alicia Garza, from left, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, co-founders of the Black Lives Matter ... [+] movement, arrive at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards at NeueHouse Hollywood on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

2018 - When Emma Gonzalez Called BS On The Trump Administration

Days after a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, senior Emma Gonzalez, delivered the speech of a lifetime in an emotionally charged anti-gun rally. She addressed President Trump and politicians who accept money from the NRA as part of the national problem. In response, to the incident, Gonzalez co-founded the gun-control advocacy group Never Again MSD.

2017 & 2014 - When Naomi Kleins Books Debuted As A NYTs Bestsellers

The force of nature that is author, activist and filmmaker, Naomi Klein, comes through time and time again in her fearless journalism and analysis of climate justice. Shes an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and international and bestselling author of No Is Not Enough: Resisting the New Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need (2017), This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate(2014), The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism (2007) and No Logo (2000). Her criticism of corporate globalization and research on how it impacts the environment will go down in history as some of the most forward thinking and important writing of our generation.

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 12: Canadian author and activist Naomi Klein speaks at the "Willy Brandt ... [+] Lecture 2019" at the Willy Brandt Foundation on December 12, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Klein, known for her critique of corporate capitalism, is advocating a Green New Deal as a means to mitigate climate change and save the planet. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)

2010, 2016 & 2018:When The Women of Iceland Went on Strike

On October 24, 2018, the women of Iceland went on strike at 2:55pm Icelandic time to protest the gender wage gap. The monumental occasion commemorated the original Womens Day Off, which took place in 1975. This event is emblematic of why the small island has topped the World Economic Forums survey for gender equality for nine years in a row. Out of 144 countries, Iceland ranks number one in political empowerment among women, number one for closing the gender income gap (government ambitions look to finalize this in 2022), and corporate quotas ensuring women represent 44% of company boards.

2014: When Jane Goodall Published Reason for Hope

Renowned primatologist and anthropologist, Jane Goodall, is most well known for her studying and interactions with wild chimpanzees. Evolving from science to advocacy, she opened the worlds eyes up to a higher level of humanity and shared her discoveries in her memoir Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Jane Goodall attends the National Geographic Documentary Films' ... [+] premiere of "Sea of Shadows" at NeueHouse Los Angeles on July 10, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

2016: When Women In Argentina Protested Crimes Against Women

Following police inaction after the rape and killing of a number of women, specifically 16-year-old Lucia Perez, hundreds of thousands women in Argentina and across Latin Americafloodedthe streets chantingthe slogan Ni una menos (not one less).Four yearsprior, Argentina sanctioned a law defining the escalating problem of violence against women as femicide.

2009 - WhenMichelle Obama Became First Lady & So Much More

In 2009, Michelle Obama not only became the first African AmericanFirst Lady of the United States, she quickly evolved into a iconic beacon of hope for the rest of the world. That year, she hosted a womens rights reception in honor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Pay Equity law. In her memoir, Becoming, Obama describes her four primary initiatives as First Lady: Let's Move!, Reach Higher, Let Girls Learn, and Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 06: A conversation with Michelle Obama takes place during the 2019 ... [+] ESSENCE Festival at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on July 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

2017 - When Survivors Said #MeToo

Originally founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke to support survivors of sexual violence, particularly black women and girls, #MeToo experienced a second phase two years ago when Alyssa Milano called for people to post their sexual harassment incidents across social media using the hashtag #MeToo. What subsequently erupted was a movement and cultural reckoning overflowing with survivors and supporters shining a light on sexual misconduct in the workplace across sectors. Since then, several states have passed laws prohibiting the use of nondisclosure agreements in sexual misconduct cases. There is more work to be done, but some positive shifts are unfolding on state and federal levels.

In this Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, photo Tarana Burke, founder and leader of the #MeToo movement, poses ... [+] for a portrait in New York. Burke is using the second anniversary of the movement to launch a new effort intended to mobilize voters heading into the 2020 election. The new hashtag #MeTooVoter was unveiled Tuesday, Oct. 15 on the same day as the fourth Democratic presidential debate and reflects a frustration among activists that issues of sexual violence and harassment have largely been absent from the debate stage and campaign trail. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

2011: When Hillary Clinton Declared Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights

Reminiscent of her famous 1995 speech in Beijing as First Lady, when she said "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a speech on Dec. 6, 2011, to the United Nations saying, "Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights."

2014: When Emma Watson Launched HeforShe

In 2014, actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson, addressed men and women at the UNs headquarters in NYC in a highly applauded speech about gender equality that went viral almost instantly. Her remarks launched the HeforShe campaign, an invitation for men and people of all genders to stand in solidarity with women to create a united front for gender equality.

2019: When Indigenous Women of The Amazon Took To The Streets

As the worlds lungs, the Amazon rainforest, ferociously burned in August and September, indigenous women mobilized to protest the policies ofBrazils president Jair Bolsonaro, which they say have violated their indigenous rights and escalated racism, violence, and high rates of deforestation in the Amazon. Marking the countrys first Indigenous Womens March, they rallied across their countrys capital carrying signs with the slogan Territory: our body, our spirit.

13 August 2019, Brazil, Brasilia: Indigenous women are taking part in a protest against right-wing ... [+] President Bolsonaro's environmental policies and the loss of their traditional settlements. Bolsonaro wants to make greater economic use of the Amazon region in particular and allow further deforestation. Photo: Tuane Fernandes/dpa (Photo by Tuane Fernandes/picture alliance via Getty Images)

2015: When Jennifer Lawrence Called Out Hollywoods Pay Gap

Plenty of people publicly offered anything but sympathy for Jennifer Lawrence when she released her essay, Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars? Some criticized her taking this stance because she earns millions of dollars per movie, while others applauded her candid, direct approach to an important issue.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 04: Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of 20th Century Fox's "Dark ... [+] Phoenix" at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 04, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

2019 - When Greta Thunberg Sailed Across the Atlantic to NYC

Sixteen-year-old climate activist, Greta Thunberg, rocked headlines and got under the skin of certain politicians when she sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in a solar powered racing yacht to speak at climate conferences in New York and Chile. Prior to her carbon free voyage, she spent school days outside the Swedish Parliament demanding aggressive action to reduce the risks from future global warming. Other young people joined her, and soon after, a youth-led global climate action movement spread like wildfire.

Greta Thunberg on December 13, 2019 in Turin, Italy.The 16-year-old environmental activist Greta ... [+] Thunberg, just been elected Time Magazine's Person of the Year, on her way back from Madrid (where COP25 is happening) to Stockholm decided to partecipate to 50th Friday For Future in Turin. (Photo by Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

2019 - When Women Won Leadership Of Finlands Political Parties

In December, 34-year-old Sanna Marin became Finlands and the worlds youngest prime minister. This now makes a party of five women leading Finlands Social Democrat Coalition, which has agreed to stay together to execute policies the group announced in June. The four other female party leaders in the coalition are Li Anderson, 32, who heads the the Left Alliance; Maria Ohisalo, 34, of the the Green League; Katri Kulmuni, 32, from the Centre party, who was named finance minister on Monday; and Anna-Maja Henriksson, 55, of the Swedish Peoples party.

Sanna Marin the Prime Minister of Finland at the European Council - Euro Summit - EU leaders ... [+] meeting, during a press conference with President of European Council Charles Michel and President of Europe Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The Social Democrat Finnish prime minister is in office from December 10, 2019 and is currently the world's youngest serving pm. Finland helds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

2014: When Trans Rights Activist Laverne Cox Graced The Cover of Time

In 2014, Laverne Cox became the first transgender person nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the Netflix series Orange is the new Black. GLAAD, an NGO that fights discrimination against the LGBTQ community in the media,notedthat Cox repeatedly breaks barriers in her advancement of the LGBTQ cause. That same year, she was the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine, breaking boundaries around the world for the transgender community.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Laverne Cox attends the Premiere of Columbia Pictures' ... [+] "Charlie's Angels" at Westwood Regency Theater on November 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

2016: When The Women Of Poland Stopped Anti-Abortion Legislation

In Poland, after the drafting of a law that would have banned abortion across the country, women wore all black and went on strike to protest the legislation. And it worked. The parliament, along with the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS), backed away from the controversial proposal, which wouldve made all abortions illegal unless a mothers life was at risk. If the bill had become law, it wouldve been illegal to terminate a pregnancy caused by rape or incest. Additionally, the law called for doctors who facilitate an illegal abortion and women who seek one to be jailed for up to five years.

2018: When Oprah Gave Her Monumental Golden Globes Speech

The women of Poland arent the only ones who wore all black as a symbol of solidarity. At the2018 Golden Globes, the women of Hollywood donned black evening gowns to show support for the anti-sexual harassment initiative Times Up, which was formed in response to the outpouring of #MeToo movement voices. Times Up publicly launched after allegations against former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein proliferated the news media. That evening, Oprah Winfrey received the Cecile B. DeMille Award, and delivered a moving speed declaring, So I want all the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say, Me too again. Thank you. Her words had a few people in the audience encouraging her to run for president.

2018: When A Record Number Women Ran For Office

While Oprah opted not to run for office, a record number of women in the U.S. did, specifically for the House, Senate and state legislatures. A record 3,379 women won nomination for state legislatures across the country, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. Meanwhile, 235 women won nominations in U.S. House races, breaking the previous 2016 record of 167. Twenty-two women won major-party nominations for U.S. Senate, breaking the record of 18 set in 2012. Sixteen women were nominated for gubernatorial races. The previous record, set in 1994, was 10. Whether it was in direct response to the Trump Administration, the #MeToo movement, or an increase in programs encouraging women to get elected is difficult to determine. Whatever the cause, a cultural shift transpiredone that will continue to progress in years to come.

2019: When AOC Introduced The Green New Deal

Shortly after becoming New York's 14th District congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez garnered support for the Green New Deal, drafted to combat climate change andincome inequality. The draft says that within 10 years from the start of execution of the Plan, the country will be fully powered by renewable energy sources. Cortez also proposed providing all Americans with the opportunity, training, and education to be full and equal participants in the countrys clean energy transition, universal health care programs that would support green energy start-ups, and a jobs guarantee program that would assure a living-wage job for all.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 14: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a news conference ... [+] to introduce legislation to transform public housing as part of her Green New Deal outside the U.S. Capitol November 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. The liberal legislators invited affordable housing advocates and climate change activists to join them for the announcement. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

2017 & 2018When Women Around The World Marched In Unison

The day after President Trumps inauguration in 2017, women (and men) across the globe came together to protest his election, along with a number of injustices including the rollback of reproductive rights, issues around immigration, civil rights and more. The main demonstration took place in Washington D.C., as additional marches made noise in at least 408 different U.S. locations and 673 total worldwide. During the D.C., event, legendary feminist activist, Gloria Steinem said to the crowd: Make sure you introduce yourselves to each other and decide what were going to do tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow. Were never turning back!

WASHINGTON,DC-JAN19: The Women's March, January 19th, 2019. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The ... [+] Washington Post via Getty Images)

2017: When Elizabeth Warren Persisted

The words Nevertheless, she persisted evolved into a popular feminist battle cry and meme after Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke out against the nomination of Jeff Sessions to become Attorney General, citing his anti civil rights record. While she was reading a letter supporting her objection to Sessions leadership, she was interrupted by Mitch McConnell. Following that, the Senate voted for her to be silenced during the rest of Sessions confirmation. McConnell, later said of Warren: She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted. And were so glad she did.

MANCHESTER, NH - DECEMBER 12: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) ... [+] gestures as she delivers an economic policy speech on December 12, 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Iowa Caucuses are less than two months away. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

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2009-2019: 27 Times Women & Girls Fighting For Equality Slayed the Decade - Forbes