espnW celebrates the "Game Changers" -- empowering women who are breaking boundaries in sports and culture.
Little girls are often expected to be docile, compliant and, most of all, easily silenced. "She Persisted," a picture book written by Chelsea Clinton and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger on the Philomel imprint, out May 30, encourages its reader to find their voice and dream out loud.
Inspired by Elizabeth Warren's refusal to be silenced on the Senate floor in February, the book celebrates 13 American women who have helped create the fabric of this country. From freedom fighter Harriet Tubman, to Sally Ride, the United States' first woman in space, to record-breaking track and field star Florence "Flo-Jo" Griffith Joyner, the women in the book are from diverse backgrounds, with very different accomplishments, yet all shared the universal goal of making the world a better place.
Clinton, 37, serves as the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on several initiatives to help encourage the next generation of leaders. She wants all children, including her own Charlotte and Aidan, to fully understand that it's always "important to stand up and speak out for what's right," like the women in the book.
"She Persisted" also highlights the importance of sports for young girls. Clinton noted that her parents always encouraged her to keep playing, "even if I didn't score a goal in [soccer], or came in last in a race, or didn't get on base in a softball game, it was the effort that mattered," Clinton said. "[Having] a great sense of confidence, [often] comes with children [being] exposed to sports at a particularly young age."
Clinton also shared with espnW advice passed down from her grandmother, why Flo-Jo was a childhood hero of hers, and what happened when a teacher told her she "dreamed too big."
espnW: How did you go about selecting the 13 women for this book?
Chelsea Clinton: I thought about the women who have inspired me throughout my life. I recalled learning about Ruby Bridges and Claudette Colvin when I was in school in Arkansas. I remembered watching Florence Griffith Joyner break the world record in Seoul in 1988. I remember watching her do that as a little girl in Little Rock.
And Virginia Apgar, whom I didn't learn about until I was pregnant. Dr. Apgar created the "Apgar Score," [which tests a newborn baby's health] decades ago, and it is still the standard around the world today.
I was also inspired by dancer Maria Tallchief. And the women who challenge us to be better, like Harriet Tubman and Helen Keller. These women have inspired and challenged me my whole life. All of whom have meant a great deal to me.
espnW: Were you ever told your dream was "too big, "and if so, how did you persist?
CC: I have very vivid memories of a few teachers saying things like, "Oh my, you're just so precocious," as a little girl. And even "maybe, you should be more ladylike." Saying those things to young girls may seem small, but they add up. Saying those things can be lodestones for little girls, and I'm so grateful that I always had a mother and grandmother who very much believed that it was important to stand up and speak out for what we thought was right.
And certainly, in comparison to what the 13 women in "She Persisted" have overcome, I just can't even imagine. I have been incredibly privileged and blessed in my life by having parents that have always loved and supported me. That wasn't always the case for the women in this book. I've always had the privilege to have a home, food on the table, a good school to go to and a safe neighborhood to play in, and that wasn't the case for all the women we're highlighting.
I'm grateful to have role models and the support of my family, who always encouraged me to get back up and keep going, even when things seemed challenging. That has certainly been true at times, even in the more recent past.
And for those of us who have been privileged and blessed, as my grandmother always said: "You need to expand the circle of blessings."
espnW: Flo-Jo is in the book. Why did you make an athlete a priority? And how did she influence your life?
CC: I remember so vividly watching Flo-Jo break the 100-meter and the 200-meter record in 1988, and I was just in awe of her. I was so devastated for her family when she passed away. When she clearly still had so much more to give. So, I wanted to include her. I wanted to add an athlete because our athletes and artists show us what is possible. They help bring beauty into our world; they help us think about what's right in the world. If they can have the grit, the determination and the grace to break physical barriers, what can we do to break mental barriers?
Though I've always been sort of athletic, I was never going to be Flo-Jo. I'm grateful that my parents always encouraged me to try. Even when I didn't score a goal in [soccer], or came in last in a race, or didn't get on base in a softball game, it was the effort that mattered. If I had worked my hardest and tried my hardest, it was something to celebrate. There are lessons and skills we learn as kids playing sports, which have real application as adults. And I'm thankful that my parents understood that, and I hope to have my children learn that as well. Young people gain a great sense of confidence and comfort from being exposed to sports and arts at a particularly young age.
This interview has been edited for length.
