Advancing with Courage: Juana Ramirez

While social media can have its downsides, it also exposes me to posts that teach me amazing new things. Recently, a post about Juana Ramirez (“La Avanzadora”) showed up on my Newsfeed. Initially I was uncertain about the accuracy of the information shared, but - after doing a little digging - everything (except the picture) seemed to check out.

From Facebook: Ever met a woman who ran toward the cannon fire instead of away from it?

That was Juana Ramírez, “La Avanzadora.” Born in 1790 in Venezuela, she didn’t wait for permission to be brave. When the fight for independence broke out, she organized and led an all-female artillery unit, a line of women loading, firing, and advancing while soldiers twice their size hesitated.

They called her La Avanzadora, The Advancer—because in the chaos of battle, when everyone else ducked, she moved forward. Juana wasn’t fighting for glory or medals; she was fighting for a future where her people could breathe free, where daughters could inherit courage instead of silence.

History often forgets women like her. But every time a woman speaks truth with calm strength, or stands her ground when the world tells her to step aside, Juana’s spirit advances again.

Additional information about Juana Ramirez is available at the sites below:

• https://www.womensactivism.nyc/stories/6880 

• https://blackpast.org/global-african-history/juana-ramirez-1790-1856/ 

Picture courtesy of Womens Activism NYC.