Women’s History Month is an annual observance highlighting women’s contributions to historical and contemporary events. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, it is celebrated through March, and every year on March 8 people around the world commemorate International Women’s Day.
The Washington Informer is proud to celebrate women’s resilience, strength, and achievements everywhere. Today, we honor several Black women who have made significant contributions nationally and globally.
Denise Rolark Barnes is the publisher of The Washington Informer, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) has been the Mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015. Before her election, she represented Ward 4 on the D.C. Council for eight years.
Johnette B. Cole is an anthropologist, educator, museum director, and college president.
Marian Wright Edelman is a champion of civil rights and children’s rights. She is the founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.
Myrlie Evers-Williams dedicated more than 30 years to pursue justice for her husband, Medgar Evers, who was assassinated in June 1963. She also held the position of chairwoman of the NAACP.
Vice President Kamala D. Harris was the first female Attorney General of California. She later served as a senator, vice president, and the first Black and Southeast Asian woman to serve as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) has represented the District of Columbia in Congress since 1991. She is a lawyer and human rights activist and served as chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under President Jimmy Carter.
First Lady Michelle Obama, an attorney and author, served as the First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2016.
Lt. Governor Winsome Earl-Sears (D), a Jamaican native, is the lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Each of the above Black women inspires the current generation of women and men. Their words, actions, and deeds will undoubtedly inspire future generations.
Despite political leaders’ work and legislative efforts to revoke women’s rights, such as the Supreme Court’s overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade in June 2022–taking away the constitutional right to an abortion— these leading ladies, and other strong sheroes, have advocated for not only women, but equal rights for all. Through their dedicated work in publishing, politics, law, education, and organizing, these women have paved paths, inspired and worked toward justice.
During Women’s History Month and throughout the year, may we all remember the words of activist Angela Davis, who said, “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”
Happy Women’s History Month!