Celebrating Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month so let the celebrating begin! Today, I chose to highlight women who paved the way for the right to a fair and equitable education regardless of race or gender. Two strong ladies who made strides in education opening the door for more opportunity for ourselves and today’s youth.

Each school day, the school principal I work at highlights a different woman during the morning announcements. She shares stories of people like Ada Lovelace, who wrote and published the first computer algorithm in 1843; Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; Gladys West, a mathematician whose work directly contributed to the global positioning system (GPS) we have today. I love seeing the children’s eyes light up in amazement and feel the girls’ empowerment grow with each story. This is another example of things I am learning working in a 5th-grade class, listening to the stories celebrating incredible women.

I did some googling and came across Patsy Takemoto Mink.

Have you ever heard of her? I sure hadn’t, yet this woman directly affected the lives of all three of my daughters. Born in Hawaii, as a Japanese-American, she was the force behind and author of Title IX. This legislation is predominantly known for its impact on giving females equal opportunity to play, compete, and win scholarships in sports. But, it also created, and demanded equal treatment for women in every aspect of a higher education system once geared towards men.  

Every girl in Little League, every woman playing college sports, and every parent, including Michelle and myself, who watches their daughter on a field or in the classroom, is forever grateful to the late Patsy Takemoto Mink.

Barack Obama

Patsy Mink transferred from two different colleges due to discrimination as a woman of color, but rose from adversity to change the system for all women who came after her.  

After being denied acceptance into medical schools because she was a woman, she applied to law schools. After completing her degree and passing the bar, she was denied employment because she was a mother. Ultimately, her only recourse was to take a chance and open her own law firm. All of these circumstances led to her becoming involved in politics and Patsy Mink would become the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress. 

In addition to writing bills like Title IX, the Early Childhood Education Act, and introducing the Women’s Educational Equity Act to Congress. Mink was also the first Asian-American to run for U.S. President.

“We have to build things that we want to see accomplished, in life and in our country, based on our own personal experiences … to make sure that others … do not have to suffer the same discrimination.”  

Patsy Mink

I also chose to celebrate Mary McLeod Bethune.

Ms. Bethune was the 15th child born to former slaves in South Carolina.  She went from working in cotton fields at the age of 5 to starting a private school for African-American girls.  She made benches and desks from garbage, had $1.50 and 6 students when she started her own school. It was called the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls.   That school eventually merged with another, grew under her tutelage, and is now known as Bethune-Cookman University.  BCU has grown to almost 4 thousand students and is very highly ranked with 36 undergrad degrees and 7 masters.   

We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.

Mary McLeod Bethune

After one of her students came down with appendicitis and no local hospital would treat her because she was black, she fought back, raised money, and opened the McCleod Hospital.  It grew and operated for 20 years serving black and white people in their area from 1911-1931.  At that time, the public hospital finally agreed to open a separate hospital for people of color.  

Ms. Bethune was a confidante and close friend to Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and she used this to form the Federal Council of Negro Affairs.  As if all of that wasn’t impressive unto itself, these accomplishments and so many others were done as a single mom.  

Wise words from an incredible woman.

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Much respect and thanks to all of the women who climbed mountains of adversity and bias to make the ascent a little easier for our children and us. I hope to be back each week celebrating and highlighting more women and their achievements past and present.

Who are the women you celebrate? I would love to learn all about them and maybe I can share their story!

With love to all of you (especially the ladies),

Sandy