Strength

Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde (1934–1992) was a Caribbean-American writer, poet, and activist whose work addressed civil rights, feminism, and LGBTQ issues. Her books include Zami, The Black Unicorn, and the essay collection Sister Outsider, and her work champions intersectional resistance as reflected in the quote.

Betty Friedan

Betty Friedan (1921–2006) was an American writer, activist, and a leading figure of second-wave feminism who authored The Feminine Mystique and co-founded the National Organization for Women. Her work focused on women's rights and social critique, and she discussed later-life themes such as viewing aging as a stage of opportunity and strength.

Elizabeth Edwards

Elizabeth Edwards (1949–2010) was an American attorney, author, and health-care advocate who became a public figure through her legal work and involvement in politics. She wrote and spoke publicly about family, illness, and resilience, and is widely quoted for reflections such as "Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before."

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) was an American poet noted for her compressed lyric poems, unconventional punctuation, and innovative use of slant rhyme. She wrote nearly 1,800 poems exploring themes of death, nature, identity, and inner life, many published posthumously.

Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney (1939–2013) was an Irish poet, playwright, and translator who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. His work explored rural Ulster life, history, and the ethics of language; the quote emphasizes focused will and attentive perception.

Sheryl Sandberg

Sheryl Sandberg is an American business executive who served as chief operating officer of Facebook (now Meta) and previously held leadership roles at Google. She founded Lean In, co-authored the books Lean In and Option B, and is known for advocating women’s leadership and resilience.