Wilma Mankiller - The Woman Who Led with Heart and Vision

Celebrating Women's History Month with a badass a day.

There’s a story that stays with you, one of a woman who looked at a broken system and said, “We can do better.” Her name was Wilma Mankiller, and she wasn’t just a leader. She was a force of nature.

Wilma was born in 1945 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. Her family was poor, and when she was 11, they were relocated to San Francisco as part of a federal program aimed at assimilating Native Americans into urban life. It was a brutal transition, one that left Wilma feeling disconnected from her roots. But even in the chaos, she held onto her identity, her culture, and her determination to make a difference.

In the 1960s, Wilma found her calling in activism. She joined the occupation of Alcatraz Island, a protest led by Native Americans demanding justice and self-determination. It was a turning point for her, a moment that ignited her passion for community organizing and advocacy.

When Wilma returned to Oklahoma in the 1970s, she brought that passion with her. She …