What is Women’s History Month?
Women’s History Month is an annual, monthly celebration in March that honors women’s contributions in the United States.
How did Women’s history month begin?
Women’s History Month was founded in Santa Rosa, California, as a local celebration. In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration. The members selected the week of March 8 to align with International Women’s Day. “Women’s History Week” spread, and in February of 1980, President Carter became the first president to declare the Week of March 8, 1980, as Women’s History Week. In 1981, Former Representative and now Senator Barbra Mikulski and Senator Orrin Hatch co-sponsored the Congressional Resolution Pub. L. 97-28, which authorized and requested the President to honor the week of March 7, 1981, as “Women’s History Week.” For the next five years, Congress continued to pass similar resolutions. Until 1987, after petitioning by the National Women’s History Project. Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9, which designated March of 1987 as Women’s History Month. From 1988 to 1994, Congress continued to pass similar resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to honor March of each year as Women’s History Month.
Since 1995, presidents have honored March as Women’s History Month.
Are there themes?
Yes, there are themes, and the National Women’s History Alliance, formerly the National Women’s History Project, posts themes every year. The theme for 2022 is “Women Providing Healing, Providing Hope,“ a tribute to caregivers and frontline workers during the pandemic and the recognition of women throughout the history of various cultures that provided healing and hope.
Historical Black Women
I chose to write about Henrietta Lacks and Mary Kenner because of this year’s Women’s History Month theme, “Providing Healing, Proving Hope.” In addition, to last month being Black History Month, I wanted to recognize Black women in particular who are a group of people that are often disregarded.
HEnrietta Lacks | August 1, 1920 – October 4, 1951
In 1951, Henrietta Lacks went to Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated by Dr.Howard Jones for cervical cancer after experiencing vaginal bleeding. There weren’t many hospitals at that time that treated Black people. She died in the “colored ward” in 1951 from cervical cancer and was buried in an unmarked grave. Surgeons at Johns Hopkins Hospital harvested cells from her tumor without her consent or knowledge of her family and sent them to Dr. George Otto Gey’s tissue lab. Henrietta’s cells were different than any cells he had studied in the lab; her cells were able to grow and divide continuously. The cells taken were the first immortal human cell line, HeLa (Henrietta Lacks).
Her cells have been sent to space on a Space Rover to uncover the impact of zero gravity on human cells. In addition, HeLa has been used to study the effects of nuclear explosions, potential side effects of cosmetic products, develop a treatment for infectious diseases, cancer treatments, polio, and COVID-19. Her cells have transformed scientific research and are a significant contribution to human life. Although her family has never profited, she is only recently starting to receive recognition after several decades of this discovery. You can learn more about Lacks in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, which has also turned into a movie with Oprah Winfrey. You can also visit the family’s foundation here.
Mary BEatrice Davidson Kenner | May 17, 1912 – January 13, 2006
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was an inventor. One of the most famous objects that she invented was the sanitary belt. Especially in the first half of the 19th-century, people infrequently discussed menstruation. In the 1920s, most women made makeshift pads homemade out of cloth and rags. Kotex pads were mainly used when women and girls had to leave the house. Pads at the time were described as too large, too long, too thick, and too stiff. Kenner wanted to be rid of these problems with the sanitary belt. She came up with the idea in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until 1956 that she could go through the extensive patent process. Her invention was described to have adjustable straps that allowed the user to wear the belt comfortably without experiencing irritation and friction. In 1959, she filed an additional patent for a sanitary belt with moisture proof to further prevent leaking. The Sonn-Nap-Pack Company heard about her patent in 1957 and contacted her to make and sell the belt, but they did not want to work with her when they found out she was Black. Her patent eventually expired, and manufacturers profited from her idea without Kenner making a profit.
By the 1970s, today’s menstruation products, adhesive pads and tampons, became popular, leading to the end of the era of the sanitary belt. In 1976, she invented an attachment for walkers or wheelchairs that included a tray and a pocket. In 1982, she and her sister created a toilet paper dispenser. Her final patent was awarded in 1987, which was a mounted back washer and massager. Kenner submitted five patents granted by the U.S. government during her lifetime, more patents than any African-American woman has done in history. Despite creating inventions that make life easier for many, she never profited from her creations or received awards or formal recognition. You can learn more about her here.
Why is it important to share their stories?
Lacks and Kenner are two Black women that continue to provide healing and hope for many people. They have both made enormous contributions to society without receiving their recognition. Throughout history, Black women have been overlooked, and I believe their stories exemplify that. To establish change, we must begin with sharing their stories all the time. It is not just about sharing his-story; it is also about sharing her story.