Women’s history month is a celebration of what American women have contributed to U.S. culture. When most people think of American women and their contributions to women’s history, they may switch between African American or Caucasian role models like Rosa Parks, Hillary Rodham Clinton, or Susan B. Anthony.
 
Though these and several other African American and Caucasian women have contributed a multitude to American culture — they are not the only ones.

The United States is full of successful Asian American, Hispanic and Indian American women who have enhanced the fabric of American culture with bright hues. From politics to entertainment, these women have cracked the glass ceiling.

It’s quite shocking, really, that they haven’t been as widely recognized. This is especially true for Indian American women, who have augmented opportunities for other Indian American women to advance in entertainment, politics, business, and sciences.

Read the rest here…

By Sherryn Daniel

On March 9, 2011, this was the go-to- place to interact with acclaimed Maryland authors. The fifth annual ”Women’s Leadership Forum,” sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, held a bevy of acclaimed panelists, hosts, moderators and performers that enticed an audience of female business and non-profit leaders.

The panelists for this forum were Elizabeth Chandler (aka Mary Claire Helldorfer), who is an acclaimed author that has written numerous picture books for children as well as the Kissed by an Angel and Dark Secrets series for teens; Ginny Gong, the author of From Ironing Board to Corporate Board: My Chinese Laundry Experience in America, and president of GG Communications; Jerdine Nolen, an award-winning children’s author who is best-known for Raising Dragons, Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm and Eliza’s Freedom Road: An Underground Railroad Diary; and Mia Redrick who is a popular speaker and selling author for the books Time for Mom-Me: 5 Essential Strategies for a Mother’s Self-Care co-author of Taking Time to Care for Me: A Nurse’s Guide to Self-Care.

The forum opened up with a warm introduction by Sheilah Kast, host of “Maryland Morning” that evoked insight on women being great storytellers who have a great ability to spread history through word- of -mouth, writing, journalism, literature and a litany of  other ways.

The panel was then moderated by Joanna Sullivan, editor of the Baltimore Business Journal, who skillfully wove enough Q& A to elicit laughter, insight and instrospection for the panelists.

Each author had different inspirations for writing their books. For example, Mia Redrick, CEO of Finding Definitions, was inspired by her mom to write her books on mother’s self-care. Ginny Gong, President of GG Communications, was inspired by her parents assimiliation into the United States and her desires, at a young age, to read more books on Asian Americans.

Elizabeth Chandler, famed author of The Dark Secrets books,  knew since 10th grade that she was destined to write  and Jerdine Nolen, acclaimed children’s author, has been writing since she was old enough to hold a writing utensil. Her mom even told her that she was born with a pencil in her hand. She also writes stories because there’s a story tell.

Each author contributed a medly of different insights, inspirations, and personal struggles and victories into the forum. However, each author agreed that all women have the power to write “Her-story” down. All it takes is persistence, confidence and taking the initiative to write.

This advice uniformed the crowd and evoked inspiration that all women have the power to pass her story to the next generation.The forum then  concluded with a moving speech about perseverence by vocalist and drummer Gaynell Colburn, who has also toured with Stevie Wonder and Bill Cosby.

If you are a fellow Marylander, and you want to volunteer to make “Her-story” widespread in the state. Please visit the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center’s Website for more information.

By Sherryn Daniel

The “Kidlitosphere community ( blogs about kids books) has never had an organized month-long event honoring women’s history before.  Even though the American Library Association regularly recognizes noteworthy titles in that area( through their Amelia Bloomer awards) this is truly a first of its kind within this arena.

Decades ago, most students would have to peruse their local library in hopes of stumbling unto a biography of Harriet Tubman or of Florence Nightingale in their local school or public library. Even years earlier, Not so long ago, women’s history was virtually ignored in the K-12 curriculum.

  Today, we are all so fortunate to have ample resources for America’s children to learn more  about women’s history and to have it catered and written for young students. This special blog  highlights some of these books and their authors for parents, teachers, and librarians.  

  Kid lit  has decided to leave the site up to remain for an entire year. In today’s web 2.0 age, several blogs are recognized as resources for important information. Which is why this blog will be made readily available as a year-round resource for anyone enticed into learning more  about women’s history.

By Sherryn Daniel
 

Her ingenuis idea exemplified to all Monroe students the importance of Women’s History Month.

“ I am so glad that I had the oppurtunity to show people how amazing these women really were,” said Ashley Chasteen.

So please take a look and remember that anyone can celebrate Women’s History Month, in their own creative way.

By Sherryn Daniel

Richards was born in Dunstable, Massachussetts to a family who nurtured her educational aspirations.

After recieving degrees from Vassar college and MIT, her educational attributes ( teaching, consulting, and promoting the American Association of University Women) in MIT propelled the university to accept more women for admission.

If it wasn’t for Richards, women would never be admitted into science-based universities nor would women even have the option of taking Home Economics in school.

So remember this as you try to send in your Essay and SAT scores into MIT or when you are  trying to read up on the best nutritional dinners for children 13 years and younger.

By Sherryn Daniel

 On this day in history she will not only be remembered for pioneering American Women into saint hood but for her subsequent accomplishments that trailblazed immigration, religion and with social issues:

• Cabrini, along with six other sisters founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus where she composed the constitution and served as the establishment’s superior general. ( This establishment created homes, a free school and nursery during it’s initial five years.)
• March 31, 1889, the Pope sent Cabrini to NYC to assist Italian immigrants by establishing an orphanage and creating  67 institutions across the U.S, South America and Europe.
•   Cabrini’s beatification miracle dealt with  the restoration of sight to a child who had been blinded by excess silver nitrate in its eyes.
• Mother Cabrini’s feast day is celebrated  November 13, which is also the the day of her beatification.

A great way to celebrate this day in history is to volunteer  at  your local public schools, hospitals or children’s day cares to give back like Mother Francis.

By Sherryn Daniel

1.)  Rebecca Adamson (1950-)Native American Advocate: Adamson founded the First Nations Development Institute.  which has created  new standards for accountability on federal responsibility and reservation for  land reform.

2.) Ada Deer (1935-)American Indian and Civil Rights Activist: Deer led her tribe in gaining passage of the Menominee Restoration Act, which restored  land and treaty rights as American Indians.

3.) La Donna Harris (1931-)Indian Rights and Civil Activist: Harris is a member of the Comanche tribe and  has served since 1970 as president of Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO) which is  a multi-tribal organization devoted to improving and enhancing life for American Indians.

4.)Winona LaDuke (b.1960)Author and Environmentalist: For the past 30 years,  LaDuke has worked on the land issues concerning the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota and has influenced  litigation over land rights in the 1980′s.

5.) Queen Lili’uokalani (1838–1917)Monarch: Lili’uokalani was the last reigning monarch of Hawaii since she was forced to abidicate the throne in 1893 and 1889 due to foreigners enforcing a new constitution that stole voting rights away from most Hawaiians.

 By Sherryn Daniel

Her book “Living History and Making Social Change” is a medly of a vivid  memoir, teaching manual and a colorful account of  her uphill battle with bringing “her” into “his”-tory.

Her collection of essays also creatively details  her efforts of transforming history and society through the study of women’s lives. It’s not everyday that a decadent book by an expansive intellectual, a feminist theorist, an imaginative educator, and a relentless political activist is published for all.

 So in honor of this great crusader for women’s right to learn about ”her”-story, we are honoring her contributions to women’s history by offering her latest book Living with History/Making Social Change at a 30% DISCOUNT.

 By Sherryn Daniel