Happy Women’s History Month!
While March marks a moment to commemorate history-making women throughout time, the month also offers an opportunity to celebrate womanhood in all its glory.
Playwright Ntozake Shange, writer of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf” (1976), said: “Where there is a woman there is magic.”
Women have been key to the foundation of this nation.
“Throughout history, the vision and achievements of powerful women have strengthened our Nation and opened the doors of opportunity wider for all of us,” said President Joe Biden in a proclamation for Women’s History Month, 2024. “Though their stories too often go untold, all of us stand on the shoulders of these sung and unsung trailblazers — from the women who took a stand as suffragists, abolitionists, and labor leaders to pioneering scientists and engineers, groundbreaking artists, proud public servants, and brave members of our Armed Forces.”
Further, let’s not forget, Black women have been barrier-breaking bosses and visionaries, throughout U.S. History. From Phillis Wheatley to Harriet Tumban, Ida B. Wells, Shirley Chisholm, Angela Davis, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé Knowles Carter and Vice President Kamala Harris, Black women have made an indelible mark on the nation and world – and continue to do so today.
However women – and Black women in particular – continue to fight for fair wages, reproductive rights, respect and overall justice. Moreover, Black women face major disparities related to health, economics, and access to equal opportunities.
“The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman,” Malcolm X said in May 1962. Sadly, the famous civil rights leader’s sentiments ring true to this day.
That’s why this March, it’s important to not only celebrate history-making ladies but also uplift women as they continue to fight for justice and work to advocate against inequalities all women face.
This month is a perfect time to remind women of their incredible strength and abilities to influence positive change.
Celebrated poet Maya Angelou often spoke about the power of women, and her poem “Phenomenal Woman,” (1978) is a declaration of beauty, strength, and unfathomable resilience.
“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women,” the poet once said.
Women make a difference.
Whether you’re a woman or not, this March, dive into the historic narratives of women whose work and legacies continue to inspire to this day, but also work to advocate for equal opportunities for all women.