Women’s History Month is a time of celebration for all the women who have impacted our world in many ways. There are many times that some women are not recognized for the change they helped make. If you’ve seen the movie Hidden Figures, then you know what I mean. Here are five women who are not recognized enough.
Anna Arnold Hedgeman (1899-1990)
Anna is the first African-American to earn a degree from Hamline University in Saint Paul, MN. She was offered a job in Mississippi where she encountered racial segregation and discrimination, due to this Anna got involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Anna served on the cabinet for New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. She was an active civic leader and helped A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin plan the 1963 March on Washington.
While being active in the civil rights movement in Arizona, President of the University of Notre Dame (UND), Rev. Theodore Hesburgh noticed Graciela. He wanted to make sure Graciela attended law school at UND. Graciela became the first female graduate from UND Law school. Graciela became a director of the old Community Services Administration under President Jimmy Carter and established the first Spanish-television station in the United States!
Wilma Mankiller was the first female chief of Cherokee Nation where she made sure men and women in the Cherokee Nation worked together in community-development projects where they strived for the common good. Mankiller received the Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton due to her work of uniting Cherokee Nation with the Federal Government.
Sylvia Rivera was an LGBT activist. She joined the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) and worked hard on a campaign to pass the New York City Gay Rights Bill. Rivera was an active advocate for transgender rights. Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson co-founded STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries) to help homeless youth.
Tammy Duckworth is a politician, who serves as the junior United States Senator for Illinois since 2017. Duckworth was a Lieutenant Coronel in the Illinois Army National Guard until her retirement in 2014. Duckworth is the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress in Illinois, the first disabled woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and the first member of Congress born in Thailand. Duckworth has served important roles in the Department of Veteran Affairs as well.
There’s nothing more inspiring and empowering than reading stories from these awesome women! Representation truly matters, when we see women who look like us, we are more likely to pursue our passions and become the next awesome woman to place change in the world. Click on each name to read more of their biographies!