Mellissa Mark-viverito is the first Hispanic woman to hold the position as speaker of the New York City Council, which is the second most powerful position in the city government after that of the mayor. She got there through a unanimous agreement after years of dedicated efforts towards activism. Mellissa was born on the 1st, of April 1969 in San Juan to a Puerto Rico parent. She grew up in Bayamón but left for New York at age 18 based on educational purposes. Born into a wealthy home, her father a medical doctor founded the renowned San Pablo Hospital in Bayamón. She schooled at the Columbia University where she earned her bachelor’s degree and also bagged a  master’s degree from Baruch College studying public administration. Before she took over the position as speaker in 2005, she had worked for many years in local activism, non-profit organizations, and labor. Mellissa served…

While it’s not uncommon to see top CEOs and entrepreneurs contribute to causes as a part of their companies’ corporate social responsibility, some individuals have stepped it up a notch. Female entertainers are not left behind as we’ve seen a number of them embarked upon significant charitable causes across developing nations. Some of these notable female entertainers will be spotlighted in this article. First on the list is Pop music Icon Madonna Louise Ciccone. She is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman, who has continuously contributed to charitable causes. Considered one of the most influential women in contemporary music, this American recording artist, Golden Globe winner, and entrepreneur, has received global recognition for her efforts to bring an end to the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s 2,000,000 orphans and vulnerable children through Raising Malawi, a non-profit organization she founded in 2006 with Michael Berg. Raising Malawi is…

Janice Bryant Howroyd is an African-American woman, born on the first of September, 1952 in Tarboro of North Carolina, United States of America. Her father had a mixed race, his ancestry was of both Irish and Cherokee, but Janice mother is an African-American. This astute woman is energetic and passionate, self-inspired and very diligent. Being self-inspired is traceable to her early days in life, as a teenager in Tarboro. She suffered the torments of racism being a black girl in the midst of other white children. She was the first and only black student while in high school. According to Janice, “back in high school, there was so much racial discrimination, there was no joy in returning to school the next day if you succeeded in surviving the bad day you had the day before.” She recalls one of her worst days in school, when one of her teachers “explain…