Earlier this month, saw the much anticipated release of Becoming a Dangerous Woman, an account of Pat Mitchell’s path to power, from a childhood spent on a cotton farm in the South to her unprecedented rise in media and global affairs. Alongside revelatory interviews with other ‘dangerous’ women, Pat takes us on a lively journey, sharing with readers intimate anecdotes about navigating the power paradigms of Washington, DC and Hollywood, traveling to war zones with Eve Ensler and Glenn Close, pressing Fidel Castro into making a historic admission about the Cold War, and matching wits with Ted Turner and Robert Redford. ‘Dangerous times call for dangerous women,’ Mitchell tells us, and in sharing her story, she encourages others to be braver and bolder, to dismantle the barriers to full equality they see in their own lives, and to embrace risk to create a more equitable world.
It’s a truth that underpins a big part of what we at ROAR AFRICA strive to do, by supporting those pioneers in the safari, conservation and tourism industries to overcome tribal norms and prescribed Western cultural traditions and make the kind of positive changes that will be felt in their families and communities for generations to come.
Pat’s intimate and inspiring story of her life is no different, filled as it is with universal truths for women across all ages, races and cultures as she has worked hard to redefine power on her terms to manifest a better world for all. And so, in as much as this is a memoir about an extraordinary woman and her life, it is also very much a call to action from someone I am privileged to call my mentor, teacher, and friend.
To increase awareness of and support for the creative design and entrepreneurial enterprises led by women, Pat has created a benefit collection that partners with female-led, sustainably-minded companies to produce The Dangerous Collection. Now you can ‘purchase with a purpose’, everything from a 100% Australian wool fedora to stylish slides made from recycled materials to embroidered cashmere pashminas. And with all proceeds supporting the work of organizations profiled in the book, it’s purchase that gives power too.
If you’d like to join us at one of the many events planned to coincide with the release of Pat’s book, email welcome@roarafrica.com.
