She Didn't Say a Word at Her Husband's Funeral, But She Taught Me Everything About the Power of Women Supporting Women
- Pamela D. Marshall
- Mar 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 23
Each night I step onto the stage as M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias, I am reminded that the story is not just about one family in a Louisiana beauty shop. I perform in a theatre started by a woman, Rhonda Wilson, an African American graduate student at the University of Florida. We honor you, Rhonda.
Steel Magnolias is about women supporting women.
Women who hold each other together when life cracks open our hearts. Women who sit beside each other in laughter, in grief, in truth. And yes, my sisters who know that sometimes the only way thru life is together.
Steel Magnolias shows us a truth many women already know: behind every family, every community, every movement, there is a circle of women quietly holding the fears and disappointments in their aprons.
During this Women's History Month, I found myself reflecting on that sisterhood in a powerful way.
The Woman on the Front Row
Recently, I attended the funeral services honoring Rev. Jesse Jackson, a giant in the struggle for civil rights. Thousands came to pay their respects. Leaders from across the nation gathered to celebrate his life and his legacy.
But there was one person who drew my quiet attention every day.
On the front row, at every service, sat Mrs. Jackie Jackson.
She did not need a microphone. She was living her speech. Her presence spoke volumes.
She knew the full journey of Rev. Jackson, not only the speeches and marches the world saw, but the private moments, the sacrifices, the years of struggle that unfolded while she was birthing and raising the children who carry his DNA and his legacy forward.
I watched her with reverence and respect.
Because history often celebrates the man who stands at the podium, but it is the woman beside him who has often felt the weight of the journey.
When History Unfolds: Women Supporting Women at the Highest Levels
And then another moment of history unfolded before my eyes.
I watched Vice President Kamala Harris speak. So did former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton.
Standing there was the first woman Vice President of the United States and the first African American woman to become a major party's candidate for the highest office in the land.
In that moment, she was not only a political figure. She was also part of something deeper.
She had become part of our sisterhood.
The sisterhood that lives in beauty shops across America. The sisterhood that lives in kitchens, churches, classrooms, boardrooms, and city halls. Women talking, debating that might look like an argument, all while encouraging each other. But still, women connected by the shared journey of being women in this world.
Were there women who did not support presidential candidate Kamala Harris? Of course.
But I sometimes wonder what might happen if women across this nation could embrace the power of women supporting women and say: Let us help one another rise. And once we rise, let us sit together and talk about the agenda that can change the disparities faced by women everywhere.
Women sitting in every chair, whether that chair is in a beauty shop, a classroom, a boardroom, or even the Oval Office.
Because when one woman rises, the door opens wider for the next.
What Steel Magnolias Teaches Us About Women Supporting Women
That is the quiet truth that Steel Magnolias reminds us of.
Women are strong. Not because we never break, but because we hold each other when we do.
We laugh together.We cry together.We raise children together.We lead communities together.
We are mothers.We are daughters.We are neighbors.We are leaders.
And when we choose to stand together, the sisterhood becomes unstoppable.
The Sisterhood That Holds History Together
This Women's History Month, I honor the women who have held our communities together:
The mothers.The daughters.The sisters.The grandmothers.The women who sit quietly on the front row of history, seen or unseen.
Because the truth is this: the sisterhood is significant.
The practice of women supporting women extends far beyond individual relationships. It shapes movements, builds communities, and literally changes the course of history. From the quiet dignity of Mrs. Jackie Jackson to the historic presence of Vice President Kamala Harris, from the circle of women in a Louisiana beauty shop to the women leading in boardrooms and classrooms across America, we are connected.
We are the ones who hold the weight when hearts break. We are the ones who celebrate when doors open. We are the ones who refuse to let each other fall.
And when women rise together, history rises with us.
Today's Practice: Living Out Women Supporting Women
Just as Tadasana (Mountain Pose) teaches us to stand strong and grounded, the practice of women supporting women requires us to be present, steady, and intentional.
Today, practice sisterhood:
Reach out to a woman in your life who needs to know she's not alone
Celebrate another woman's success without comparison or competition
Listen deeply when a sister shares her struggle
Stand firm in your support, even when it's uncomfortable
Remember that your rise creates space for others to rise too
Because women supporting women isn't passive. It's a practice. And like all practices that build Peace, it requires intention, courage, and the willingness to show up, even when it's hard.
Join the Conversation
Have you experienced the power of women supporting women in your own life? Share your story in the comments below. Let's celebrate the sisterhood that holds us all together.
Looking for more inspiration on Peace, healing, and the power of going thru life's challenges together?
For speaking engagements, workshops, or to bring the message of women supporting women and Peace to your organization, call 352-359-5760 OR reach out HERE.
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