I consume books

grateful for the graphic novels

devour Dystopian

always faithful to the fiction

Land of Stories

Percy Jackson

racing on to Harry Potter books

then pausing

for the movies

Gobbling those up like sweet green grapes till one of them struck me

as sour

In the 4th Harry Potter I watched

three schools join together for the competition of a lifetime

One of them, a school of girls

I watched

dumbfounded as those girls are introduced

twirling and curtseying

swooning and sighing

song birds tweeting around them

as if they missed their stop for “Snow White”

and just thought they’d pop-in

as entertainment

As if the only main purpose for those young women was to be nothing more than

“love interests”

As if they are trying to confirm the stereotypes so many brave women have fought hard to erase

But, but it's 2020 right?

that movie came out 15 years ago

So we should have moved past those stereotypes

Right??

We’ve come so far in our history from blissfully ignoring the helpless to speaking out and speaking up but nevertheless there is still work

to be done

women in the workplace are still more likely to face discrimination and

are still less likely to be acknowledged for their dedication and determination

To be acknowledged

for the reason they got the job in the first place.

RBG did not dedicate part of her life advocating for gender equality just for people

to continue to divide and separate

yet claiming “no one around here is gonna alienate”

hiding away the truth and forgetting honesty

unlike Ruth and her legacy should be accepted as a guide for others to take

to choose the right path and avoid the mistakes others made because

We need more people like RBG

Need more people like you and me

Need more people who can set the example

We are not about to be trampled because

we are strong, we are capable

And we will keep up the fights for equal rights until every little girl knows

there is so much more to her than dainty movements and providing amusement

There is a voice and a heart and a song

a symphony of inspiration

a command for liberation

coming from girls just like me

with a realization just like mine

you can “fight for what you care about

but do it in a way that will lead others to join you”

So pull up a chair

take out a pen

and write books, movies

because I want to hear

and read

your stories

stories of strength

stories of courage

stories of your own unique identities shining through

and I will consume those too

with pleasure