#LeadershipTuesdays: The Power Of Images

As the first Hispanic female governor in history, little girls often come up to me in the grocery store or the mall. They look and point, and when they get the courage, they ask 'Are you Susana?' and they run up and give me a hug.

--Susana Martinez, 31st Governor of New Mexico

Meet Governor Susana Martinez

Every other Tuesday, WOMEN AT LIBERTY provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. Images are so important in today's society. So much of what we see on television or in the media, whether accurate or not, is taken as the norm. It is very hard to become what you do not see. Meaning, it is very hard, not impossible, but hard to become an astrophysicist if you grow up in a town of farmers, come from a family of farmers, and you are never exposed to people who have studied astronomy or the sciences. But if you watched "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage" by Carl Sagan on PBS or became familiar with his work through that exposure, you would be able to decide whether you had interest in astrophysics.

Now that's an extreme example, nonetheless it amplifies a broader point: it is important for little girls and boys to be exposed to powerful images of accomplished women, men and minorities who are leaders. It shows them what is possible. Governor Susana Martinez's story as told in the quote above is a powerful one. Being the first Hispanic and woman to be elected as Governor of New Mexico creates a legacy for other Latinos and women that are sure to follow her. So today, during Hispanic Heritage Month, we salute Governor Susana Martinez for her accomplishments and legacy.

As mentioned earlier, the images we see in the media are important to our worldview. I invite you to check out this brief video blog entitled, "Women and The Media: Miss Representation?", which talks about the images of women and minorities that we are expose to on American television and the power that we, especially women, have to impact what we see in the media.

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