Who runs the world? Girls! The month of March is a celebration of all women. March is dedicated to bringing awareness to women’s struggles for gender equality and rights. Historically, many different public figures have advocated for women’s equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Isabella Baumfree, who changed her name to Sojourner Truth, paved the way for many women of today. Being born into slavery in 1797, she knew she needed to run away and find freedom. Furthermore, Sojourner became the most powerful advocate for women’s rights and abolition in the nineteenth century. In her famous speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, she speaks about different intersections, such as being a woman and a Black individual. Later on, she was invited to go to the White House by President Abraham Lincoln and continued to speak out on freeing slaves after the Civil War.
Mary Church Terrell, born in 1863, is also an honorable mention. She was one of the founding members and the first president of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW). The organization fought to achieve solidarity against racial and gender discrimination. Mary became a suffragette while attending Oberlin College. After she completed her studies, she became heavily involved in suffragette organizations. Mary spoke out at the International Council of Women, stating the need for suffrage and the removal of sexual and racial barriers that Black women faced. Victoriously in 1953, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated eating spaces were unconstitutional, resulting in a step forward in the civil rights movement.
These women are only a few of those who risked their lives for women’s rights. They did this by advocating, protesting, and more. We devote the month of March to these women and many others who have guided society in the right direction.
