Happy women’s history month to each and every one of you who identify as a woman!
This month is a chance to celebrate all of the accomplishments and power that women hold, so what better time to give some much-deserving praise to all those whose contributions have been overlooked for too long?
Patsy Mink
Patsy was not only an attorney but also the first woman of colour to be elected to congress. These are only two of many on her remarkable list of accomplishments. On top of her successful career, Mink was an incredible anti-racism activist. When she experienced racism during her undergraduate years at the University of Nebraska, she inspired fellow peers and staff to help fight for the abolishment of the university’s segregation policy.
Patsy also helped in the fight for gender equality, co-authoring what is now referred to as “The Patsy Mink Gender Equity in Education Act” which boldly stated that gender discrimination had no place in schools in a time where this was prominent. She fought for what she believed in and succeeded, and that’s a hell of a lot to celebrate.
Source: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/patsy-mink
Coretta Scott King
We as a society often celebrate her husband’s activism, but Coretta Scott King deserves just as much praise for her work . After her husband was assassinated, she became increasingly involved in the Women’s Rights Movement, fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights as well as opposing apartheids.
Coretta Scott King also helped to inspire African American voters in a now-renowned phone call with John F. Kennedy during the 1960 election. She raised her voice for those who didn’t have the ability to do so without fear of the negative consequences. She was an incredible woman who should be remembered just as fondly and widely as her husband.
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-15-vw-329-story.html
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/coretta-scott-king
Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Mankiller was the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Originally having her passion for activism ignited at the Occupation of Alcatraz, she fought for education and health care for her people as well as worked to protect their land. Despite the threats she faced upon being elected Chief, she stood her ground and served as a truly groundbreaking leader for her people.
She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bill Clinton in 1998, and we should continue to honour her legacy by acknowledging the substantial work she did for the Cherokee Nation and the Indigenous community as a whole.
Source: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/wilma-mankiller
Dr. Paulina Luisi
One of the original women fighting for our right to be heard was Dr. Paulina Luisi. She became the first woman in Uruguay to both enroll in and finish medical school, facing extreme harassment from her male classmates on account of her being the only woman. She did not let this deter her, instead using this to push her to fight harder for women’s rights, founding the National Women’s Council in Uruguay.
Dr. Luisi fought to show everyone that a woman can do anything a man can do, even with all of the odds against her. We should all be thankful for her ground-breaking work in dismantling the patriarchy.
These are but a few of many remarkable women that have changed the world. They faced a variety of consequences for their inspirational actions and strength, and we would not be where we are today were it not for the fearless resolve of these women.