Every March, we take time to honor women’s contributions to his- tory, culture, and society. But have you ever wondered why Women’s History Month happens in March? Or why we even celebrate it at all? The idea of celebrating women’s history wasn’t always around. In fact, for most of history, women’s achievements were overlooked or erased. But in the 1970s, a group of women in California decided that needed to change.
In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Com- mission on the Status of Women organized the first Women’s His- tory Week. They chose to hold it in March to include International Women’s Day on March 8 a day that had been recognized around the world since 1911. The idea caught on, and in 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared the first official National Women’s History Week. Seven years later, in 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a whole month. Now, every March, we recognize the contributions of women who have shaped history, often without receiving the credit they deserve.
Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate all women, but Black women’s contributions are often left out of the story. There are some incredible Black women who made his- tory but aren’t always talked about in school. Claudia Jones was born in Trinidad but moved to the United States as a child. She was smart and outspoken, and she quickly became a leader in the fight for racial and gender equality. However, because of her activism, the U.S. government saw her as a threat and deported her to England. Instead of giving up, she started The West Indian Gazet the first major Black newspaper in Britain. She also helped organize what would later become London’s Notting Hill Carnival, a celebration of Caribbean culture that still happens today.
Bessie Stringfield became the first Black woman to ride solo across the country on a motorcycle. She even worked as a military dispatch rider during World War II, delivering important messages on her bike. Dorothy Bolden worked as a housekeeper for white families in Atlanta, Georgia, starting when she was just nine years old. She saw first-hand how unfairly Black domestic workers were treated. Instead of staying silent, she started talking to other women who worked as maids and nannies. In the 1960s, she founded the National Domestic Workers Union of America, helping thou- sands of Black women fight for better wages and working conditions.
Alice Coachman grew up in Georgia at a time up in Georgia at a time when Black athletes had very few opportunities. But that didn’t stop her. She trained by running barefoot and jumping over makeshift hurdles. In 1948, she became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal when she dominated the high jump competition in London. Her victory paved the way for Black female athletes like Serena Williams and Simone Biles. Ellen Craft was born into slavery, but she refused to stay that way. In 1848, she and her husband, William, came up with a daring plan to escape. Ellen, who had light skin, disguised herself as a wealthy white man, and William pretended to be her enslaved servant.
They traveled openly by train and steamboat, with Ellen wearing a suit and pretending she was injured so no one would expect her to speak. Their escape worked, and they later became famous abolitionists, speaking out against slavery. These women—and so many more helped shape history, yet their stories are often overlooked. Women’s History Month isn’t just about remembering famous names like Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks (though they are important too!). It’s about making sure all women’s stories are told, especially those who were ignored for too long. So, this March, take a moment to learn about a woman in history you’ve never heard of before. You might be surprised by how much she changed the world.
