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Alice Walker sees the world differently, and not just because a childhood accident left her blind in one eye. This civil rights firebrand and talented novelist is famous for penning “The Color Purple”, but she’s also focused on pushing over the status quo, one prejudice at a time. Read her work, and you’ll get true Push Girl inspiration.

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Rosa Parks proved that sitting down can be a stand-up statement. While history may depict her famous refusal to get up from her bus seat as a spontaneous protest, this incredible woman had activist credentials that stretched well beyond. But, it was her famous 1955 act of civil disobedience that became a watershed event in civil rights activism and forever changed America for the better. It is for this uncompromising spirit in the face of repression that Rosa Parks takes her rightful seat in the Push Girl Hall of Fame. 

Josephine Baker was a singer, dancer, spy, activist, paragon of beauty, and member of social circles that included luminaries like Langston Hughes, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest Hemingway. Not bad, eh? She wowed audiences in her adopted France, worked for the resistance in the WWII, and returned back to the States to integrate concert halls and fight in the civil rights movement. If you think she sounds like a busy lady, wait until you hear about her 12 kids! This Push Girl was simply amazing.

Tell your friend she’s got a little Josephine Baker in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

Love, money, and sex … Helen Gurley Brown saw no reason why a modern woman couldn’t have all three. In fact, she had some pointed advice on how to get them. As editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, Gurley Brown forwarded the sexual revolution and helped many women redefine their lives on their own terms – just as she did going from ad agency secretary to one of the nation’s highest paid copywriters to the guiding force behind Cosmo. Unafraid to take a stand and a champion of progress and innovation, Helen Gurley Brown made being a Push Girl a way of life. And on her death, we celebrate the confidence, style, and intelligence she inspired in us all.

Tell your friend she’s got a little Helen Gurley Brown in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

When Kayla Harrison stood on the podium to accept Team USA’s first gold medal in judo, you wouldn’t have guessed that this Olympian - who so easily dispatched her opponents - had even greater personal obstacle to overcome. Molested by her c

Actress Sally Field won an Oscar for her portrayal of this textile factory worker who spun her belief in workers’ rights into forming a union…much to the chagrin of her higher-ups. Norma Rae was based on a real person–union organizer Crystal Lee Sutton, who agitated for better working conditions for her fellow workers at the J.P. Stevens textile plant in North Carolina during the 1970s. Sutton’s fictional counterpart introduced the worker’s rights cause to moviegoing audiences across the United States, and “Norma Rae” remains a classic underdog story interwoven with a timeless social message.

Nick Vukicic doesn’t need limbs to show the world what he’s made of, which is why he’s our first honorary “Push Guy” in the Hall of Fame. Born with a rare condition called tetra-amelia syndrome that left him without arms or legs, Nick defie

It takes a lot for a woman to push all the way to the top in a male-dominated industry like rap. Her 1994 Grammy Award winning song “U.N.I.T.Y.” reminded listeners that “I bring wrath to those who disrespect me like a dame.” She empowers women and girls with her music and life story, helping them take the reins in their own hands. She also supports charities like HIV/AIDS groups and women’s organi

Some push girls rise from the bottom, and some lead the way from the top. Born into privilege, never saw her station in life as anything but a platform to help others. Completely redefining the role of First Lady, she pushed for civil and

Sandra Day O’Connor pushed through the highest legal barriers when she became the first woman on the Supreme Court in 1981. And she continued to don the robes of justice for 25 more years - even working through a 1988 breast cancer diagnosis. This conservative judge with a steel-trap mind participated in some key legal decisions of the 20th and 21st centuries - blazing her own path amidst the push and pull of politics. After stepping down from the bench, she kept right on at it, famously noting: “I need to retire from retirement.”

Tell your friend she’s got a little Sandra in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

Erin Brockovich fought The Man … and won. A lack of legal education or training didn’t stop her from successfully taking down the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in court – which goes to show you just how far you can go when you believe 

Being a double-amputee hasn’t held Jessica Long back. This splashy athlete’s swimming skills have propelled her to over 20 Paralympic gold medals since her debut in 2004 (plus just a little ol’ thing called the ESPY). This freestyling Push Girl has made waves both in and out of the Paralympic sports world, and for that, we take our (swimming) caps off to her.

Tell your friend she’s got a little J

Bullet through the sleeve? No problem for this push girl nicknamed “The Angel of the Battlefield”. Clara Barton led a life that few others can match. She founded a school, held government posts in a male dominated era, fought for women’s suffrage, pushed for civil rights, bravely risked her life in giving medical treatment to soldiers, consulted foreign governments, and founded the American Red Cross. Phew! We’re tired just writing all that. Clara Barton, we dub you a Push Girl.

Tell your friend she’s got a little Clara Barton in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

Movie studios may be able to manufacture stars, but they can’t manufacture what it takes to be a push girl. When Demi Lovato sought treatment for eating disorders and cutting, therapists also discovered she suffers from bipolar disorder. But while most starlets would attempt to cover this up, Demi has shared her troubles with the world in a very raw, honest way. And she didn’t let her problems derail the debut of her album “Unbroken” in Billboard’s top five. Maybe her next feat will be to sing a Push Girl anthem.

Tell your friend she’s got a little Demi Lovato in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

White House intern, Alyssa Ray, is a Push Girl to keep an eye on. Paralysed by an adverse reaction to a lupus medication, Alyssa was a student leader at Wake Forest and is now on an inside track to big things. Guided by passion, she aims to fight for civil rights and equal opportunity. Alyssa says: “Just take risks, go for what you believe in.” We second that emotion.

Tell your friend she’s got a little Alyssa Ray in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

In 1999, TIME named Anne Frank one of the most important people of the 20th century. Little did this Jewish teen who dreamed of becoming a writer know that her private diary would touch the lives of millions all over the world. This push girl lived in extraordinary times but still managed to retain her belief that people had the capacity to do good, noting: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Tell your friend she’s got a little Anne Frank in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

Mia Hamm doesn’t just play for kicks. She’s one of the most talented soccer players of all time and almost didn’t make it onto the field at all. As a child, she had a foot condition that required her to wear corrective shoes. She certainlywasn’t going to let that stop her from becoming a powerhouse athlete though. She pushed ahead to win a roomful of trophies, including recognitions from FIFA and Olympic glory. Going into overtime off the field, she also raises awareness about bone marrow donation in honor of her brother Garrett, who died of aplastic anemia.

Tell your friend she’s got a little Mia Hamm in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

Magic alone won’t make your star rise at Hogwarts … it also helps to be a push girl! Born into a Muggle family, Hermione Granger entered Hogwarts with every disadvantage. But, she quickly rose to the head of the class. While her boy friends were out playing with their magic wands, she mastered the art of the spell. Hermione quickly proved you can become anyone you want to be, no matter where your origins lie. Even, perhaps, the next Minister of Magic?

Tell your friend she’s got a little Hermione in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

She’s the face on that weird dollar coin you get from the airport cart machine and one of America’s original push girls. Susan B. Anthony was involved in activism and abolitionist movements since before she could walk, thanks to growing up in a Quaker household. And by the time she hooked up with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she was an unstoppable force for women’s rights. So, the next time you end up with a Susan B. Anthony dollar, think big!

Tell your friend she’s got a little Susan in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.

Wonder Woman has held her own alongside the superdudes of DC comics since 1942, ensnaring villains in her Lasso of Truth and empowering female fans along the way. She’s not just fighting for the red, white, and blue–she’s fighting for fellow Push Girls. Oh, and the tiara and invisible jet were pretty sweet too.

Tell your friend she’s got a little Wonder Woman in her. Reblog now to give her a little push.