By Rev. Dr. Nelda Barrette Murriane, First United Methodist Church of Kennedale
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In the United States, Women’s History Month traces its beginnings back to the first International Women’s Day in 1911. {{more: continue …}}?In 1978, the school district of Sonoma, California participated in Women’s History Week, an event designed around the week of March 8 (International Women’s Day). In 1979 a fifteen-day conference about women’s history was held at Sarah Lawrence College.?Women’s History Week …??
In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. The proclamation stated,
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“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well. As Dr. Gerda Lerner has noted, ‘Women?s History is Women?s Right.’ It is an essential part of our heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision. I urge libraries, schools, and community organizations to focus their observances on the leaders who struggled for equality – Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, and Alice Paul. Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people.”
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In 1981, responding to the growing popularity of Women’s History Week, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming a Women’s History Week. Congress passed their resolution as Pub. L. 97-28, which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as ?Women?s History Week.” Throughout the next several years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as Women?s History Week.
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Women’s History Month?
In 1987, after
being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designated 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. Since 1988, U.S. presidents have issued annual proclamations
designating the month of March as Women?s History Month.
In March 2011, the Barack Obama administration released a report, Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being, showing women’s status in the U.S. in 2011 and how it had changed over time.
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?A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.? ?Eleanor Roosevelt
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“I don’t know how, but I know WHO!”
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See you Sunday!.Peace,
Pastor Nelda?Find out more about FUMC? @?First United Methodist Church Facebook ???
