‘Fearless Girl’ statue stares down Wall Street’s iconic bull https://t.co/HQCgBq1NIc pic.twitter.com/qZ272jI0Ho
— TorontoStar (@TorontoStar) March 8, 2017
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“This girl is not afraid of anything: not even a charging bull.” ~ Mengqi Sun.
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On Tuesday, March 7th, between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., a bronze sculpture of a school-aged girl was installed in Manhattan’s Financial District in New York.
With her hands defiantly perched on her hips, the girl fearlessly stares down the iconic Wall Street “Charging Bull.”
The sculpture, by artist Kristen Visbal, is entitled “Fearless Girl,” and was installed on the eve of International Women’s Day by State Street Global Advisors as a way to send a message about workplace gender diversity.
Beyond the workplace, any woman who looks at “Fearless Girl” should recognize her and identify with her stance, her courage, and her surety.
There is no question that she is an external expression of an internal reality that “all women of any age, shape, color, or creed can relate to,” as Visbal says.
When I first saw a picture of her, I felt an immediate rush of recognition.
“I know that girl,” I said to myself. “She’s been there for me in so many situations in my life.”
She was there when I finally left him after 30 years.
She was there for all those miles I ran in training for the final 26 miles.
She was there when I jumped off that cliff, quit that job, had that surgery, walked out of the canyon in a snow storm, and even when I dyed my hair purple.
How many times have you been in touch with the fearless girl inside of you?
How many times have you done what you previously thought was impossible, been your bravest, toughest, or most powerful self?
How many times have you stuck your chin out, put your hands on your hips, planted your feet firmly on the ground, and been fearless, even though you might have been scared?
What I particularly appreciate about the sculpture, as well as the version of her inside of me, is exactly what Visbal says about her, “A young girl says soft and sensitive equals strong and capable.”
It felt good to see, right there on Broadway, this archetypal image of what exists inside of me, as well as in every woman.
It made me feel that, now, everybody can see that I, you…we can face down a bull.
And she’ll be here to remind us of that when we might forget it. Well, for the next month at least, although there is now a petition to make her a permanent feature.
RT if you think the temporary #FearlessGirl statue should stay forever #InternationalWomensDay #daywithoutawoman pic.twitter.com/uNkHgzd8z5
— Militia Etheridge (@MaryEmilyOHara) March 8, 2017
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“What this girl represents is the present, but also the future. She’s not angry…she’s confident, she knows what she’s capable of…” ~ Stephen Tisdalle
“Our future rests in the hand of fearless girls.” ~ New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio
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Author: Carmelene Melanie Siani
Images: CNN Money on Youtube; Toronto Star on Twitter
Editor: Khara-Jade Warren
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