Mother’s Day: A Commemoration of Iconic Women in History

By Beryl Achieng/Mical Imbukwa

The Origin of Mother’s day dates back to the early 1900s. A woman named Anna Jarvis started a campaign for an official holiday honoring mothers in 1905, the year her own mother died. The first large -scale celebration of the holiday was in1908, when Jarvis held a public memorial for her mother in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia, USA. 

Over the next few years, Jarvis pushed to have the holiday officially recognized, and it was celebrated increasingly in more and more states around the USA. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making Mother’s Day an official holiday, to take place the second Sunday of May. Anna Jarvis put Mother’s Day on the calendar as a day dedicated to expressing love and gratitude to mothers – acknowledging the sacrifices women make for their children.

Her mother Jarvis Reeves played an important role in uniting women for good causes. She cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the field during the civil war, and in its aftermath, she organized a mother’s friendship day, with a goal to foster reconciliation between former union and confederate soldiers by having them come together, along with mothers from both sides.

With the senior Jarvis lifelong focus on caring for children and promoting peace, it’s no wonder her daughter fought for a day just for mums. At around the same time Ann Reeves Jarvis was working with mothers in the spirit of peace, Julia Ward Howie, another activist – as well as abolitionist and suffragette – worked to have June second to be celebrated as mother’s peace day and wrote a Mother’s Day proclamation, calling on mothers to work hard towards world peace.

 These women and others were responsible for precursors to Mother’s Day in the American culture. Around the world, mother’s day is celebrated in a variety of ways on different dates throughout the year, though many countries observe the holiday on the same day as the United states, proof of the powerful Impact made by Anna Jarvis.

In Africa, Iconic women, who have helped shape and create culture, abound throughout history. From legendary musicians and leaders to prolific writers and social activists, these women have incredible legacies that keep us inspired. We give them a highlight as we celebrate this year’s Mother’s Day.

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Muta Mathaai was a Kenyan social, environment and political activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace prize in 2004 for her dedication to “sustainable development democracy and peace.

Iman

The Iconic Somali supermodel, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist has broken barriers for black women in the beauty world. She remains dedicated to creating products that cater to the needs of women of color and championing diversity.

Queen Nzinga

Born in 1583, Nzinga was the Queen of the central African Kingdom of Matamba and Ndongo, who negotiated with, then battled the Portuguese to maintain Angola’s independence and limit the trade of enslaved people. 

Funmilayo-Ransome Kuti

Funmilayo Anikulapo Kuti, was a Nigerian educator, political campaigner, suffragist and women’s rights activist. During the 1940s, Ransome -Kuti established the Abeokuta women’s union and fought for women’s rights, demanding better representation of women in local governing bodies and an end to unfair taxes on market women. She was also the first woman in the country to drive a car. To top it all, she’s responsible for bringing Fela Kuti into the world. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/J69J0lN99Pw

Angelique Kidjo

 Angelique Kidjo is a Beninese musician often considered as” Queen of Africa Music”. She is an influential singer, songwriter, actress, activist and she has a Grammy to prove it. She is noted for her diverse musical and creative music videos. In 2007, Time magazine called her “Africa’s premier diva”. 

Flora Nwapa

Florence Nwanzuruahu Nwapa, was a Nigerian author who has been called a mother of modern Africa literature. She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and was also acknowledged as the first African woman novelist to be published in the English language in Britain. She achieved international recognition, with her first novel Efuru, published in 1966, at the age of 30 years. While never considering herself a feminist, she was best known for creating life and traditions from an Igbo woman’s viewpoint. 

Nefertiti

The Egyptian Queen’s Iconic bust has become a ubiquitous symbol of black female power. Nefertiti ruled ancient Egyptian society through unprecedented religious and economic revolution.

Safi Faye

Safi Faye (born November 22, 1943) is a Senegalese film maker. She was the first woman in Sub-Saharan Africa to direct a commercially distributed feature film, Kaddu Beykat which was released in 1975. She has directed several documentaries and fictional films focusing on rural life in Senegal. 

Miriam Makeba

Zenzile Mariam Makeba nicknamed Mama Africa, was a south African singer, songwriter, actress, united nations goodwill ambassador and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afro pop, Jazz and world music, she was an advocate against apartheid and white -minority government in south Africa.

Queen Amina

The Hausa Muslim queen is mostly remembered as the reverend warrior queen. She reigned for 34 years and greatly expanded her kingdom through conquest. She also opened up trade routes and is believed to have initiated the cultivation of Kola nuts in the territory she ruled.

Brenda Fussie

The South African singer was known as the “Queen of African pop”. Not only was she an unforgettable performer, but she was also an anti-apartheid spokesperson who used her music and one of a kind personality to lash out against an unjust system.