The 2015 celebration of Women’s History Month marked the 35th anniversary of the National Women’s History Project, the organization largely responsible for Congress extending Women’s History Week to a full month in 1987.
The National Women’s History Project recognizes and celebrates the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing informational services and educational and promotional materials. They have been “writing women back into history” for 35 years.
Women’s history is America’s history. Woven into the strands that make up the fabric of America are the phenomenal accomplishments of women of all races, incomes, political persuasions and religious affiliations. From politicians to poets laureate, women have left indelible marks in our society.
But despite our monumental contributions, a survey commissioned by General Motors revealed that a significant portion of our society knows very little about the accomplishments and contributions of women. The survey showed that most Americans cannot identify the two women who were most responsible for creating the women’s rights movement – Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony – and fail across the board when it comes to basic issues in women’s history. The picture gets worse when it comes to knowledge of the contributions of women of color.
Celebrating women’s accomplishments is more than just a feel-good exercise. It is about empowering young girls to be bold enough to live their dreams. It is about ensuring an accurate telling of history and not robbing women of their rightful place in it. It is about sharing the diversity and richness of all women and not just limiting our celebrations and teachings to a handful of women.
In signing the proclamation establishing Women’s History Week back in 1980, President Jimmy Carter said, “Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people.” That sentiment is as true today as when he made it in 1980—equality is empowerment.
I urge you to read about women like Pauli Murray, the first African-American woman to become an ordained minister. Murray, also a lawyer, helped found the first legal periodical about women’s rights and co-founded the National Organization of Women.
Learn about Judy Yung, a second-generation Chinese American born and raised in San Francisco’s Chinatown, best known for her groundbreaking work in documenting the immigration history of Angel Island and the life stories of Chinese-American women.
Celebrate Vicki L. Ruiz, educator and pioneer in Latina History. The first in her family to receive any advanced degree, Ruiz earned a Ph.D in History at Stanford in June 1982. Over the course of three decades, she has been a major force in shaping the field of Chicana history. In 2012 she became the first Latina historian inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
And let’s applaud Cyndi Lauper, not just for her musical genius but also as the founder of the True Colors Fund charity which promotes equality for members of the LGBT community.
Women are creating history every day; our challenge is to celebrate and share those accomplishments. In the end we are all better for having done so.
Mavis T. Thompson is license collector for the City of St. Louis.
