It’s Women’s History Month!
Though the month-long commemoration has only been around since the 1980s, there are centuries of women to celebrate
Women’s History Month as we know hasn’t been around for more than a few decades. However, it has its roots in numerous celebrations of feminist history, including the first International Women’s Day, first officially observed on March 19, 1911. In 1978, the school district of Sonoma County, California, designed a Women’s History Week celebration. Eventually, other schools and communities learned of this successful event. They soon began to hold similar celebrations in their own locales.
A 1979 women’s history conference at Sarah Lawrence College laid the foundation for many of the celebrations, remembrances, and proclamations to follow. It was chaired by historian Gerda Lerner.
Dr. Lerner, who died in 2013, is now remembered as one of the founders of academic women’s history. In fact, while still an undergraduate in 1963, Lerner taught a course called “Great Women in American History” at the New School for Social Research. This is now considered to be one of the first regular college courses to focus entirely on women’s history.
Additionally, Dr. Lerner founded the first master’s program in women’s history at Sarah Lawrence College. As if that weren’t enough, she created the first PhD program in women’s history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her continued work to promote women’s stories, along with many other historians and community leaders, formed a basis of strong support for Women’s History Month.
Federal recognition
Because of growing interest, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the week of March 8, 1980 to be National Women’s History Week. In his remarks, he said that,
"From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.As Dr. Gerda Lerner has noted, “Women’s History is Women’s Right.” – It is an essential and indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision."
As Women’s History Week grew in popularity, it gained the attention of U.S. Congresspeople. As a result, in 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution to proclaim a Women’s History Week. Since 1986, Congress and the President have annually proclaimed March to be Women’s History Month.
How you can celebrate Women’s History Month
Wondering how to celebrate Women’s History Month in your own community? Honestly, there are about a hundred different things you can do. Educate yourself about women who broke barriers and claimed their spot in history. The official U.S. government page has a ton of fascinating information for you to dig through, including audio and video from the Library of Congress.
Or, perhaps you want to bring Women’s History Month closer to home. If so, learn more about the women in your own family and community. Interview them, if you can. Thank them. Send them some nice flowers or a cool history book, if that’s their thing. Volunteer for a local women’s organization or, at the very least, send a donation their way.
Furthermore, if you’ve got a kid in your life, help them recognize the accomplishments of women throughout history. Don’t forget to include the important women in their lives today.
Next: Our Woman of the Week is Danielle Brooks!
If it’s feasible for you, consider striking on March 8 (which is still International Women’s Day). After the January 21 Women’s March, organizers created this general strike to be “A Day Without a Woman”. Unsurprisingly, this is largely in response to recent political actions which threaten the liberty and lives of women everywhere.
However you celebrate, be sure to take some time this month to recognize the many, many accomplishments of women throughout our history. You’ll be glad that you did.