I’m Every Woman
In 1979, Chaka Khan hit the airwaves with the song “I’m Every Woman,” which had women everywhere giving one another high fives and celebrating their womanhood. The song exhibited a celebration of everything it is to be a woman– our grace, beauty, sexuality and independence. It was produced the same year as the march on Washington for the Equal Rights Amendment, which was a long-awaited amendment to the US Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens, regardless of sex. The song was an anthem of sorts, and the story about a strong woman who takes care of her man, supporting him and making him a better person, was one many women could relate to.
In 1989, the song was remastered and re-released. During this time, the Supreme Court affirmed the right of states to deny public funding for abortions and to prohibit public hospitals from performing abortions. While Chaka was singing an anthem about strong women, women’s reproductive rights were being challenged and their right to choose was being stripped away.
During the 1990s, when Whitney Houston released her version of the song, women were making significant strides. We all watched in awe as lawyer Anita Hill summoned the courage to challenge Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas on the grounds of sexual harassment. Record numbers of women were elected to Congress, with four women winning Senate elections and two dozen women elected to first terms in the House. The highlight of the decade: Janet Reno was sworn in as the first female attorney general of the United States.
“I’m Every Woman,” has since been released again by an artist known as Tinashe. It’s 2022, and women have blazed unprecedented trails, and it looks like there is no stopping us. We have our first female vice president of the United States, females serving in all branches of government, heading Fortune 500 companies, starting businesses, leading healthcare systems, working in law enforcement, serving in the military, and addressing global issues. Women are assuming roles and positions that were once held for our male counterparts, but for as much progress as we’ve made, there are still miles and miles to travel.
As we embark on Women’s History Month, I encourage us all to take a moment and download Chaka’s, Whitney’s, or Tinashe’s version of “I’m Every Woman” and add it to your playlist. Listen to this anthem when you wake up in the morning and before you go to sleep at night. As you listen, think about the progress we’ve made as women. This song started as a tribute to our men, and a means for showing them how strong we are. Chaka told us we have the strength to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never let a man forget he’s a man. Now, look at us. While we can still do all those things, we have proven to ourselves and each other we can do so much more. Keep climbing my sisters, keep striving and remember YOU are Every Woman … it’s all in you. Anything anyone wants done, you can do naturally, and you will.