During the Middle Ages in Europe, according to Feudalism, being powerful meant being amongst the clergy.
In the present being powerful may mean being apart of the upper class, and in America specifically, being powerful can be equated to being white or being male. The most powerful, then, would be a white male. However, on the morning of April 5, being powerful meant being a woman according to Variety.
“I never really thought about myself as a woman of power,” upcoming actress Katrina Lenny admitted. “It’s a new idea for me, for a lot of us I think.”
That’s why Variety Power of Women presented by Lifetime is a necessary event. The luncheon hosted by comedian Michelle Wolf, and held in Cipriani 42nd Street, was dedicated to celebrating the power all women possess. With premiere sponsorship from Audi, and backing from other sponsors including Shea Moisture, iHeart Media, and Icelandic Glacial; the luncheon was a huge success dedicated to honoring Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson, supermodel Gigi Hadid, supernova Bette Midler, Grammy winning country singer Kacey Musgraves, and CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. They are all women who proved themselves to be powerful through their careers, their work ethic, ambition and desire to give back while creating opportunities for others.
As Hadid continuously breaks the “dumb model” stereotype by calling out privilege and supporting refugees through UNICEF, Henson is able to honor history and vulnerability on screen as a leading lady while honoring her father offscreen as she gracefully battles depression. The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, named after Henson’s late father, strives to destroy stigmas associated with mental health within the African American community.
Musgraves let her passion for music lead her to a partnership with the Grammy Museum allowing her to help foster musical education to the masses. On the other hand, Midler was honored for founding and continuously working to keep NYC clean since 1995 through the New York Restoration Project. Lastly, Amanpour was honored for her groundbreaking work in journalism and for serving on the Committee to Protect Journalist.
“I think the most powerful moments for me is when I’m nervous or scared about something and the fact that I survived it and came out sane still able to tell the truth and keep telling the story,” Amanpour said.
Michelle Ebanks, the Community Commerce Impact Award recipient said, “Being women in power means we can make a difference and knowing we are beautiful when the world tells us we aren’t.”
“Knowing the truth, is power.”
