By Gwen Marshall,
UniteNews Contributing Writer
Every year, March is designated as Women’s History Month—a month dedicated to honoring women’s contributions in US history. Women’s History Month 2024 will take place from Friday, March 1 – Sunday, March 31, 2024. President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th, 1980 as National Women’s History Week.
In 1981, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Representative Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution, known as Pub. L. 97-28. The resolution stated:
“Whereas American women of every race, class, and ethnic background helped found the Nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways as servants, slaves, nurses, nuns, homemakers, industrial workers, teachers, reformers, soldiers, and pioneers; Whereas American women have played and continue to play a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every sphere of our Nation’s life by constituting a significant portion of the labor force working in and outside of the home; Whereas American women have played a unique role throughout our history by providing the majority of the Nation’s volunteer labor force and have been particularly important in the establishment of early charitable philanthropic and cultural institutions in the country; Whereas American women of every race, class, and ethnic background served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement, not only to secure their own right of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor union movement, and the modern civil rights movement; and Whereas despite these contributions, the role of American women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued in the body of American history: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Women’s States of America in Congress assembled, That the week beginning History Week. March 7, 1982, is designated as ‘Women’s History Week.”
In 1987 Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as “Women’s History Month since 1995, each president has issued an annual proclamation designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”
As we celebrate Women’s History Month let us not forget the contributions of great women like Abigail Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Harriett Tubman, Mary Church Terrell, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Coretta Scott King, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and many others whose shoulders we stand on.
“Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” is the theme for Women’s History Month 2024. Women such as Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Vice President Kamala Harris, Sonia Sotomayor, Amanda Gorman, and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who have continued to strive for equality.
Women who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions. It takes a great deal of courage for women to advocate for practical goals like equity, diversity and inclusion both locally and nationally. It is important that throughout 2024, we honor local women from the past and present who have taken the lead to show the importance of change. We are proud to celebrate women who work for basic inclusion, equality and fairness.
Who are the women in your community that you will honor? Let them know how much you appreciate them for their courage and strength by reaffirming your commitment to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls in the United States and around the world.
Up Coming Events:
March 8 — Professional Day (Students Out)
March 11-14 — Spring Break (Students Out)
March 15 — District Closed
