Octavia E. Butler continues to shape and inspire new generations, years after her death.
On September 24th, Butler was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Butler, Judy Chicago, Rebecca Halstead, Mia Hamm, Joy Harjo, Emily Howland, Katherine Johnson, Indra Nooyi, and Michelle Obama were all recognized during a ceremony featuring keynote speaker Hillary Rodham Clinton.
This induction ceremony was only one of the events honoring Butler this month. On September 8th, Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy in Pasadena, California held a ceremony marking the school's official name change to Octavia E. Butler Magnet. This event formalized the name change, which was originally announced on February 25th, 2022.
Butler herself once attended the school, and the video below features Ayana A.H. Jamieson of the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network describing Butler's experiences as a student. A new school mural honoring the author can also be seen here.
Dr. Brian McDonald, Superintendent of Pasadena Unified School District, explained:
"This evening isn’t merely about a simple name change. It’s about the kind of change that Octavia believed should begin with education, change that could be ignited by dedicated teachers and fueled by a school community. Ultimately, it’s about change that I know will come from all the amazing kids who see Octavia as a role model and can learn from her legacy."
This isn't the first time Butler, who would have turned 75 in June, has had a location named after her—previously, a Mars rover touchdown site was also christened in her honor.
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[via File770]
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