Herstory Revisited

“ Only in the longing for a world of economic and sexual justice together, and not subordinated to one another, can the encounter with the divine take place. But this is an encounter to be found at the crossroads of desire, when one dares to leave the ideological order of the heterosexual pervasive normative” In honour of pride today I wanted to do an LGBT figure close to my own heart – although it’s possibly a bit niche for some! Professor Marcella Althaus-Reid (1952-2009) was a self-described ‘indecent, Latina, bisexual theologian, " specialising in liberation, feminist, and queer theologies. She was Professor of Contextual Theology at New College, the University of Edinburgh [where I myself studied Religious Studies for 5 years and thus discovered this amazing lady]. At the time of her appointment, she was the only female professor of theology at a Scottish University and the first female professor of theology at New College in its 160-year history. Althaus-Reid was born ...

“Today increasingly the British working class is faced with a choice either to defend the ‘national interest’ or throw their lot in with the oppressed people of the Third World. The most immediate way in which this can be done is for them to support the struggle of the Third World people in this country,” Olive Elaine Morris  (1952 – 1979) was a Jamaican-born community leader, writer and British feminist, black rights, and squatter’s rights activist in the 1970s. She was a key organiser in the Black Women's Movement in the UK, co-founding the Brixton Black Women's Group, the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent in London and the Black Women’s Mutual Aid and Manchester Black Women’s Co-operative in Manchester. Olive was born in Jamaica but came to the UK with her parents as part of the Windrush Generation when she was 9. She grew up in South London, leaving school without any qualifications. In the early 1970s Morris became a member of the youth section of the...

"Beware: I am fearless, and therefore powerful'.  Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley  (1797 – 1851) was an English writer most famous for her classic novel Frankenstein (1818). Writing and activism was in her blood – both her parents were feminists, writers, and philosophers. Tragically, her mother died soon after Mary’s birth and she and her elder sister were raised by their father and later a stepmother with whom they did not get along. Though Mary received little formal studies, her father ensured that she had a good education, raising her to be a ‘cynical philosopher.’ her father tutored her in a broad range of subjects and made sure she had a governess and tutor, as well as surrounding her with his own philosophical acquaintances . Thus, Mary had a better than average upbringing for a girl of her time. When she was fifteen, her father described her as: "singularly bold, somewhat imperious, and active of mind. Her desire of knowledge is great, and her perseverance in every...

Ching Shih (1775–1844) was arguably the most successful pirate ever, ruling one of the largest ever fleets and crossing swords with some of the world’s most powerful empires. Born in 1775 in Guangzhou, China, Ching was originally known as Shih Heang Koo. She was working in a “flower boat” i.e. a floating brothel when she met a notorious pirate client named Cheng I. He was so infatuated with her that he decided to marry her – either because of her good looks or because he recognised the potential she had as a cunning and resourceful business partner. They were married in 1801 and they had two children. Their marriage was unconventional from the start. Ching Shih refused to be just a pretty little housewife as most women would have become. Rather, she demanded 50% of his business and properties, and became an active partner in his piracy. Within a few years, they had accumulated a huge fleet of various pirate ships – uniting those who would usually be business rivals. Cheng I came fr...

“In my soul there is a temple, a shrine, a mosque, a church that dissolve in God.” Rab’ia al-Adawiyya (aka Rabia Basri, c.717-801) was an influential Sufi mystic. Sufism is a mystical form of Islam which bridges sectarian divides and promotes an Islam based on a personal connection to God and detachment to wealth and worldly pleasures. She has become legendary in the Islamic tradition, which complicates a historical assessment of her life which now comprises both mythical and factual components. However, there is still much to know and admire about Rabia, and her legacy on the Islamic tradition is undeniable. Rabia’s early life is shrouded in myth. Her surname shows that she was related to the powerful family of the second caliph, Umar, but this does not necessarily mean that she herself was powerful. Rather, it is largely believed that she was sold into slavery or at least worked as a slave at some point, although some sources suggest that she herself was born powerful enough to o...

“Virtue knows no colour line”. Ida Bell Wells (1862 – 1931) was a feminist, civil rights activist, and journalist. This is going to be my longest post so far, because there is SO much I didn’t know about this amazing woman and I want to share as much of her story as possible. Sorry not sorry. I’ve titled the sections so you can skip if you’re not interested hahhaa. EARLY LIFE Ida was born a slave in Mississippi, until she was granted her freedom by the Emanipation Proclamation. She attended a traditionally black college, however after losing her parents and her brother, she began work at the age of 16 to keep her remaining family together. She then moved to Tennessee where she began working as a teacher. She continued her education alongside her work. She held strong political opinions and was outspoken on women’s rights, In 1884, she resisted racial segregation laws by refusing to give up her seat on a train (almost a century before Rosa Parks on the bus!) . She was forcably...