Happy Women’s History Month, LAL. This is the month dedicated to celebrating women + their achievements. This month has been observed since the late 1980s, and each year adopts a new theme. This year’s theme, “Valiant Women of the Vote”, recognizes the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment (the right for women to vote). PS: We hope you voted in the FL primaries this past Tuesday. If you missed it, you can still let your voice be heard in the general election on Nov. 3.

In honor of Women’s History Month + all of the game-changing ladies of the past, we’re highlighting some notable Florida women who are making history today.

Film (local):

🎥 Katie Wiatt

Lakeland local Katie Wiatt is making big strides for film + women in aviation. Her 2019 film, Fly Like a Girl was filmed over three years alongside production by Indie Atlantic Films, a production company based in LAL + Nashville, TN. The film was screened at AMC Sundial Theatre in Saint Petersburg in April 2019, sharing the stories of what women are doing and have done in aviation history + female military pilots.

Community (local):

👭 Ileah Green King

Ileah Green King is a Lakeland native who works as a life coach + energy saver. Ileah is the founder of Lakeland Women’s Collective + works for Foley Immigration Law. Through the women’s collective, she is able to help women move toward their goals + reach their highest potential.

Finance + Business:

🏦 Inez Long

Much of Inez’ experience lies in the banking industry, but for the past several decades, her priority has been helping small businesses as the CEO and President of Black Business Investment Fund of Florida (BBIF). With BBIF, she raised over $31 million for FL’s small businesses in need of financial help.

STEM

🔭 Joann Newman

As president and CEO of Orlando Science Center, Joann has made big strides for the hands-on, interactive science museum. Her passion for STEM learning has led to new experiences like the Flight Lab, The Hive: A Makerspace + the STEM Discovery Center. Thanks to programs like these, over 190,000 students made trips to the Science Center in 2018.

Education:

📚 Joy Prescott

Having received the Florida Teacher of the Year award in 2019, Joy’s passion for educating students is no secret. The Glades County educator was chosen as the winner among almost 200,000 public school teachers in FL. According to Glades County Superintendent, she “Promotes a wonderful environment that leads to the social + emotional growth of her students.”

Activist

🏳️‍🌈 Jazz Jennings

Jazz, a young transgendered woman from South Florida, is creating big waves for the LGBT community, at only 19 years old. She shares her story + spreads her message on her show, TLC’s “I Am Jazz” and her YouTube channel. Her goal is to act as a voice for trans kids and let families know that it’s “okay to be different.”