Women's History Month
"For most of history, anonymous was a woman." - Virginia Woolf
According to an organization dedicated to Women's History Month, this celebratory event had its lawful origins as a weekly, national celebration in March 1981. Congress passed a law that authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.”
Over the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed another law that declared the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history.
Women With a Past Impacting the Future
VERNICE ARMOUR
Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour is a tested, gutsy trailblazer whose resume is filled with a collection of impressive"firsts". FlyGirl is America's first Black woman combat pilot. She served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine. She has served as a Marine Corps diversity liaison officer to the Pentagon. After proudly serving her country, Armour launched her career in the private sector as an entrepreneur, consultant to business, and author of "Zero to Breakthrough: The 7-Step, Battle-Tested Method for Accomplishing Goals that Matter".
SYLVIA EARLE
Sylvia A. Earle is a leading American oceanographer and former chief scientist. She is a devout advocate of public education regarding the importance of the oceans as an essential environmental habitat. A former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a leading American oceanographer, Earl was among the first underwater explorers to make use of SCUBA gear and identified many new species of marine life. With her former husband, Graham Hawkes, Earle designed and built a submersible craft that could dive to unprecedented depths of 3,000 feet.
MANAL AL-SHARIF
It's hard to fathom that in certain parts of this world, women are still fighting for simple rights such as driving. Manal Al-Sharif, one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, and Newsweek’s top 10 tech-revolutionaries is a prominent voice advocating for women's rights and empowerment. She is known to be the first Saudi women to specialize in Information Security with a career. In 2011, al-Sharif co-founded and led the #Women2Drive movement, to challenge the ban on women driving in her country after being arrested and imprisoned for "driving while female". Although prohibited from speaking and driving in Saudi, she continued campaigning for #Women2Drive and #IAmMyOwnGuardian to end the male guardianship in her country.
"How important is it for us to celebrate our she-roes!"- Maya Angelou
Celebrated in March, Women’s History Month provides a small, brief window to focus on the diverse group of inspiring women who make a difference. As we reflect on great female role models who impacted our past, we also celebrate the leaders and influencers who are shaping our today and tomorrow.
Dr. La Tonya Powers is a mother, pastor, author, entrepreneur, and community leader. Dr. Powers was destined for what she loves to do, and that is helping people whether in or outside the walls of the church. Need the "girl power" strategy? Navigate to www.tfunow.com and book your appointment today!