Mary McLeod Bethune

During the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War, freedoms for African-Americans in the South were still restricted by the white population. Jim Crow Laws (and before that, Black Codes) were the South's attempt to, essentially, keep African-Americans in slavery.

Mary McLeod Bethune was born free in South Carolina in 1875, but for her entire life, she was expected to follow rules like:

She would not be served a meal in the same building where the white population was eating.
She could not share any public space with the white population including buses, train stations, or schools.
She could not marry outside her race.

But Mary would not be discouraged. Once during a visit to a little white girl's home, she picked up a book.  The little girl scolded Mary to put the book down because she didn't have any right to be handling a book. Mary became determined to learn to read.

With few educational opportunities available for black children, Mary had to beg her parents to let her attend a school five miles from their home. She flourished and eventually became a teacher.

Wanting to provide better opportunities for other children (including her own) Mary started her own school in Florida. In the beginning, she collected items she needed for the school from the city trash. By 1904, she opened the Daytona Normal and Industrial School for Negro Girls. The school continued to grow and merged into Bethune-Cookman College in 1928.

Clara Barton, Founder of American Red Cross

Hurricane Sandy has been another chance for our country to come together and support each other. News reports of the damage caused to New Jersey and the surrounding areas have shown us the destruction. Over the years, tornadoes, war, tsunamis and other disasters have had their way with us. When disaster strikes, one of the best ways for us to support our neighbors is to support the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton.

Clara worked in the patent office in Washington and was well aware of the horrors occurring on the Civil War battlefields. She wanted to do what she could to make a difference for the soldiers. She provided for their physical needs of food, bedding, and clothing, but she also offered emotional support by reading letters sent from family or just listening as the soldier shared his story.

After the war, she was ordered by a doctor to get some rest and Clara took a trip to Europe. She was introduced to the Red Cross in Europe and knew the U.S. would benefit from a similar program. She was 60 years old.

Don't ever think you are too old to make a difference and leave your mark on the world.

Women in History - right before your eyes

One of my favorite things involving women's history...any history really...is finding inventive ways for people to learn it.  I love reading, but history classes in school were always challenging.  I had a hard time focusing on the dry language and the chalky vision it provided of our nation's past.  Memorizing dates is not exactly making an impression on students.

Enter Women in History.  They saw a very real void that needed filling.  Students should know about women's contributions to American history and Women in History brought the very common historical re-enactment idea to the classroom. Jump back in time and listen as Susan B. Anthony tells you about being a leader in the women's suffrage movement.  Find out what life was like before and after the Titanic for Margaret Brown.

While performances are conducted most often in their home state of Ohio, they are willing to travel.

I haven't had the privilege of seeing a performance yet, but I love the concept and I enjoy promoting their work.  Even if you can't get to Ohio, you can still read about the actresses and the many historical women they bring to life.

How much more fun could a history class be?

Sarah Rosetta Wakeman

What's a woman to do if she wants to join her countrymen in the Civil War? She couldn't just walk into the recruitment office in 1861. Women weren't allowed to serve in the armed forces but it's estimated 400 women left society's expectations behind, disguised themselves as men and went off to war.

Check out the book written about her life, An Uncommon Soldier, by Lauren Cook Burgess

Meg Gill, Brewmaster

Twenty-seven year old Meg Gill is being called the youngest female brewery owner in the world. The naysayers be damned, this woman is going places in the craft beer market. Go get 'em, Meg!   

Sally Ride

First U.S. Woman in space dies at 61

Jeannette Pickering Rankin

Everyone is familiar with Hillary Rodham Clinton, but she's not the first female to become a political powerhouse.

Ms. Rankin successfully led women in Montana to the voting booth four years before women gained the right to vote nationally. From there, she was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.


Photo is courtesy of United States Congress, Public Domain

What Do Women Think About Birth Control?

There's a lot of heat surrounding contraceptives these days. And I don't mean that in a fun, sexual way.

A woman's right to use birth control is being contested everywhere from FOX to The Baltimore Sun. The big debate isn't as much about the women's reproductive rights themselves, as it is about why women aren't being consulted. Most news outlets, it seems, prefer to interview men.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2006-2008, 99% of women who have had sex have used some form of birth control. Where are these women now when lawmakers are having a conversation about restricting our reproductive freedom?

Interestingly, CNN states "thousands" of women have been writing letters, leaving phone messages and sending emails to share their opinions. CNN is actually wondering why men aren't doing the same. 

Which is it?  Are we hearing from men and women equally?  If not, which side is actually being under-represented? It seems it depends on where you get your news.

I understand those who have religious beliefs that prohibit birth control, but I also can read a statistic like the one from CDC and know that, religious belief or not, couples are making choices to prevent pregnancies. And, as many women will point out, not every woman taking a birth control pill does it for pregnancy prevention. Some women take them for PMS symptoms that are unbearable, some women take them to regulate their cycle so they can GET pregnant, some women take them to help prevent other health problems.

Don't let the few decide what's right for you or your family. The government shouldn't be making this decision for us. Thousands of women raising their voices aren't enough when there are over 150 million women in the country. If this conversation is as male dominated as some news outlets lead a reader to believe, then we as women need to stand up. Our opinions are just as important as the ones expressed by men being interviewed by mainstream media. Make yours heard. 

 

Juliette Gordon Low

I mailed a thank-you card to a friend today and used a postage stamp celebrating scouting. It made me think about my days as a Brownie selling Girl Scout cookies. I was only involved for a year or two, but I remember how excited I was whenever I earned a new badge for Mom to sew on my uniform.

Ms. Low founded the girl scouts in 1912 after a visit to England. She met with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of England. Sir Robert put most of his energy into the boys as, with most people in those days, he believed the girls wouldn't do anything more than become housewives. They didn't need to learn leadership skills, math or science. Low came back to the U.S. with every intention of showing the world that women could do more.

Fighting for the Right to Vote

Over the years, I've found two women's lifestyle publications that I read cover to cover. One was called Ms.Adventure, which has sadly ceased publication. I wrote for them for about a year before they decided they were unable to continue publishing the newspaper because they weren't able to secure enough advertising dollars to cover the costs. As a free publication, advertising was everything and for one reason or another, it just wasn't there. I was disappointed because, by then, I was devouring everything I could find about women and their contributions to history.

The publication I'm reading now is called Skirt! and they are founded on the principle that, in part, "The ones who came before us made it possible for our daughters to dream bigger...." The letter from the publisher this month is about November 15, 1917 called the "Night of Terror." Take a read as Nikki Hardin encourages you to do your part and vote. Suffragists worked hard and survived amazing horrors because they believed women have something valuable to add to our country. Let your voice be heard.