MOTHERS SHAPE THE WORLD 3 OF HISTORY’S BRAVEST MOMS
Moms make the world go round. After running the gauntlet of childbirth, they raise and guide us
abolitionist and a speaker for women’s rights, delivering her famous impromptu speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” in May of 1851.
Irena Sendler (1910–2008)
throughout our lives, shouldering the tremendous burden and responsibility of motherhood. Mothers are in turn
When the Nazis invaded Warsaw in September of 1939, Irena Sendler, a 29-year-old social worker and mother of two, hatched a scheme to rescue Jewish children from the brutal ghettos. Along with many friends and colleagues, she smuggled out nearly 2,500 Jewish orphans, hiding infants on trams and garbage wagons and guiding kids through a labyrinth of secret passageways beneath the city.
formidable, kind, powerful, gentle, wise, fierce, patient, supportive, empathetic, driven, and full of love. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are three historic
moms who never stopped fighting for what they believed in.
Sojourner Truth (1797–1883)
Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928)
Before she escaped from New York slaveholder John Dumont, Sojourner Truth had at least three of her children sold away from her. When Dumont went back on his promise to emancipate Truth and her infant daughter in 1826, she took the girl and fled to an abolitionist Quaker family, but she was forced to leave her other daughter and her 5-year-old son, Peter, behind. Soon after, she learned that Peter had been illegally sold by Dumont to a slaveholder in Alabama, so she went to court and secured his safe return. It was the first successful case brought by a black woman against a white man in American history. Truth went on to become a prominent
Despite being a wife and the mother of five children — two of whom died tragically young — Emmeline Pankhurst became one of the fiercest advocates for women’s suffrage in the late 19th century. After founding the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903, she and her cohorts adopted an aggressive strategy to raise awareness for the issue; they began by buttonholing politicians and staging rallies, then progressed to vandalism, window smashing, and arson. She was instrumental in the movement. Pankhurst lived to see women gain the right to vote in 1928.
TIMOTHY B.
After completing the 10th grade at a JVS in Bellefontaine, Ohio, Timothy B. went to work as a maintenance tech for an apartment complex. His work varied and included everything from repairing, replacing, and maintaining equipment to keeping the grounds clean. Unsurprisingly, he became a jack-of-all-trades and enjoyed this line of work for many years. Tim began experiencing intermittent lower back pain that worsened to the point where his doctor wanted him to undergo diagnostic testing. Tim ultimately underwent two very extensive low back surgeries, including a multilevel fusion for disc herniations at L4-L5 and L5-S1. These were followed by the implantation of a spinal cord stimulator for pain management and several efforts at work-hardening therapy and rehabilitation. After several years and nearly $350,000 in claim costs, Tim’s initial application for permanent total disability was denied. Not to be deterred, Tim again attempted vocational retraining authorized by the Bureau of Workers’Compensation. After the rehab efforts were exhausted, a second application for permanent total disability was granted. Following a favorable medical opinion, we were able to have the Industrial Commission authorize permanent total disability benefits without need for another hearing (which is a very rare event)! Tim still walks with a cane and requires ongoing medical treatment for his injuries. Fortunately, his inability to work doesn’t preclude him from having a home and providing for his family. His lifetime benefits are estimated by the BWC to be more than a million dollars.
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