Women’s history should not be filtered, de-emphasized

    Tuesday began like any other work day, listening to WKMS while driving to work. On this particular morning, however, I became sad and frustrated by a discussion about whether or not March is National Women’s History Month. The discussion preceded an informative piece about 1,100 WASPs who, 66 years after serving as WWII fighter pilots, are finally being honored for their contributions. Only 300 of these women are still living. I called WKMS to confirm March 2010 as the 30th anniversary of Women’s History Month (yes, only 30 years of nationally recognizing women’s history). 
    I grew up in a time when almost no one in academia considered integrating women into the historical record. My history books revealed a biological oddity, a nation with only founding fathers; women were totally omitted, yet no one questioned or even recognized that fact. My science books reinforced the idea of a single-gender world and, except for  Emily Dickinson, I do not recall any women writers and poets in my literature books. While I remember reading “The Outsiders” in high school, no one told me that S.E. Hinton was actually Susan Eloise Hinton. 
    Before I heard the words “feminism” or “women’s rights,” I longed for female role models. I wanted to identify women who had contributed to the world in meaningful ways extending beyond wifehood and motherhood. I needed to find women who shared my passion for “changing the world,” who could encourage me to take a stand against injustice and motivate me to set goals sometimes inconsistent with my peers or parents’ expectations. I searched for and read autobiographies and biographies of women who helped me discover myself as a female. The books were limited, but I found women whose spirit I wanted to emulate: Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, Anne Frank, Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale and Clara Barton. If only I had stumbled upon the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Sojourner Truth or Susan B. Anthony, I would have been strengthened, gained more self-respect and developed greater courage and a stronger voice.
    What we don’t know CAN hurt us. Historian Gerda Lerner said in “Why Herstory Matters,” “A girl without female heroes and role models grows up believing no one like her has ever made a difference. She incorporates that into her self-image.”
    Women ARE part of history; their talents, energy, intellect and determination have transformed culture, history and politics and enriched our society. From the earliest times in American history, they’ve played pivotal roles in creating, expanding and sustaining the American spirit. They’ve worked together for a more perfect union, expanding the idea of representative government and democratic principles for all generations. From the Daughters of Liberty who before the Boston Tea Party boldly signed their names to a letter to King George committing to a total boycott of British goods to Deborah Sampson, a soldier in the Revolutionary War; from the Grimke sisters who spoke out against slavery to Harriet Tubman who risked her life as an Underground Railroad conductor; from suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt to sharecropper Fannie Lou Hammer, who faced violence and endured intimidation to become a leader of the Civil Rights movement; from environmentalist Rachel Carsons who changed our view of the world to physicist Chien-Shiung Wu who changed our way of looking at the universe, women’s history is truly America’s history. Numerous women whose names and stories have been written in invisible ink accomplished so much, often in the face of hardship and discrimination. In doing so, they have created an expanded vision of what is possible for all of us to achieve. 
    Yes, history is filled with women who have transformed communities and ideas of their day. Learning the true stories of women’s history helps girls and women gain new optimism about their own abilities to affect the world and realize their perspective is important and should be heard at the table where decisions affecting their lives are being made. When boys and men learn more about women’s individual accomplishments and the female experience over time, they grow in their respect for them. An expanded view of history that includes both women and men encourages us to see ourselves as well as our connection to the past differently.
    The 22nd Celebrate Women Luncheon Wednesday continues the work of “writing women back into history.” Hear Dr. Sonya Baker, assistant dean of humanities and fine arts and professor of music, speak about “Extraordinary Women on an Ordinary Journey” and be entertained by some of Murray State’s most talented students and gifted women in the community. Help us congratulate the 2010 recipient of the Celebrate Women scholarship and also the Margaret Simmons Female Student Athlete. I hope to see you at this celebration.