How many of you have told the women close to you that you appreciate them today? As women’s history month ends, it’s crucial that you still continue to acknowledge the important and influential women both close to you and all throughout society. Here are three simple but worthwhile ways to do just that:
- A quick 10-minute phone call can go a long way
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Whether it’s your grandma or that helpful classmate you started being friends with, a phone call or text conversation takes little time out of your day but can have such an influence on making someone’s day. As they say; be kind. You never know what people are going through.
- Support a local women-owned business:
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There are a large number of women-owned businesses right here in Richmond. A few that are more local to the VCU area include:
- Saadia’s Juicebox, located in the Jackson Ward district, is a coffee shop and yoga bar. This shop’s name is inspired by the owner, Saadia Yasmin. Stop by here if you want a refreshing smoothie, acai bowl, some tasty avocado toast or just a place to unwind!
- Mod&Soul, a boutique only 0.2 miles away from VCU campus, is a women’s clothing store open Tuesday through Sunday. It offers a selection of items including dresses, an assortment of tops and bottoms, jewelry and other accessories at an affordable price.
- Sugar & Salt RVA is a bakery in the heart of Downtown Richmond. You can satisfy your sweet tooth here with a number of delicious options like cakes, pies and cookies. These deserts are more unique than your average cupcake or brownie, and can even be personally customized.
- Take time out of your day to read about an important female figure
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Throughout history, women have been overlooked when it comes to many things: accomplishments, inventions and overall extreme influence they have had may never be known to us simply because of the patriarchal system that controls how history is remembered. This is really why Women’s History Month is so important. These are some noteworthy and significant women that you should know about.
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the first Jewish woman to become a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. She was justice for almost 30 years, from 1993 to 2020. Throughout her career, she became one of the select faces of the feminist movement. She is an icon in many people’s eyes; not only for her interesting choice of collars but also because of all the work she has done to fight for women’s rights.
- Patsy Takemoto Mink was the first Asian-American woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. Mink advocated for many women’s equal rights issues while in Congress. One of her greatest triumphs was the Women’s Educational Equity Act, passed in 1974. This bill provided education funds for programs to promote gender equity in schools.
- Patricia Roberts Harris was the first Black woman to serve as a United States ambassador, representing America in Luxembourg from 1965 to 1967. She was also the first Black woman to serve as a cabinet secretary, specifically Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Continue to support and show love to your mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends, close friends and colleagues all throughout time, not just in the month of March.