Following this past election, March 2017 might be the most important Women’s History Month yet. It is important to stand up and support marginalized groups as many Americans feel misrepresented by the government. Here are four ways to celebrate and become actively involved this Women’s History Month:
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Read Angela Davis’s Freedom is a Constant Struggle. Davis is a life-long political, feminist, and civil rights activist. This past January, she served as an honorary co-chair and speaker of the Women’s March on Washington, which took place the day after Trump’s inauguration. Reading what Angela Davis has to say about race and gender will further inform you about how important the feminist movement is today. In the mood for something more personal? Try Stephanie Covington Armstrong’s brilliant memoir about her struggle with bulimia nervosa in Not All Black Girl Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia.
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Write to an LGBTQ prisoner through Black and Pink. Www.BlackandPink.org pairs prisoners of the LGBTQ community with “free world” allies in order to spread support and love. Because so much violence is endured by the prison industrial complex toward LGBTQ people, writing as an ally can make a huge difference in someone’s life.
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Add a Women & Gender Studies or Race Theory course to your Fall schedule during advisement. If you have any room in your grid sheet, try taking any diversity-based course next semester. Diving deeper into the systematic and blatant oppression that marginalized groups face will give you a better understanding of why there are so many social injustices in our society today. bell hooks, W.E.B. Du Bois, Judith Butler, Edwidge Danticat, and Chinua Achebe all explore different social issues through literature; any WGS or diversity credited English course will provide these, or similar, texts. Want something outside of the English department? Try a poli-sci course focused on law and society, which will give you just as much insight.
- Reach out to an older woman in your life. Call your grandma, great aunt, or neighbor to catch up and chat. Ask about their experiences as a woman in both the 20th and 21st centuries. Ask about their mothers and grandmothers. Thank them for their time and let them know how much they mean to you. Celebrate your womanhood together.
Remember, the late Maya Angelou once said: “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” I wish everyone a happy and healthy Women’s History Month!