Celebrate Women’s History Month on March 6, 1-2 p.m., with our free webcast, Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies, for students in grades 9-12.

Cokie Roberts hosts this fascinating discussion of the struggles to establish a nation as seen through the eyes of our nation’s first First Ladies: Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, and Dolley Madison.

Share their behind-the-scenes insights into the challenges faced by their husbands, as well as learn about the often overlooked contributions of these essential founding mothers.  Register for viewing information at http://www.fcps.edu/fairfaxnetwork/registration/registration.html

“As Americans, ours is a legacy of bold independence and passionate belief in fairness and justice for all. For generations, this intrepid spirit has driven women pioneers to challenge injustices and shatter ceilings in pursuit of full and enduring equality. During Women’s History Month, we commemorate their struggles, celebrate centuries of progress, and reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the rights, security, and dignity of women in America and around the world. …While we have made great strides toward equality, we cannot rest until our mothers, sisters, and daughters assume their rightful place as full participants in a secure, prosperous, and just society.”

-Barak Obama

Many of those pioneers in education are recognized and honored in the 2012 Gazette publication by the National Women’s History Project.  Representing hundreds of women whose countless hours of work remain uncounted for, these honorees lead the way in improving education for all young women in America over the centuries.  The efforts made by these individuals changed the course of history–or more appropriate herstory.

These Honorees include:

• Emma Hart Willard (1787–1870) – Women Higher Education Pioneer

• Charlotte Forten Grimke (1837 – 1914) – Freedman Bureau Educator

• Annie Sullivan (1866 – 1936) – Disability Education Architect

• Gracia Molina de Pick (b.1929) – Feminist Educational Reformer

• Okolo Rashid (b.1949) – Community Development Activist and 
Historical Preservation Advocate

• Brenda Flyswithhawks (b. 1950) – American Indian Advocate and Educator

Written by:

Kimberly Roush
Blog Manager

Ginsburg was born March 15th, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. After receiving her BA at Cornell University, she attended Harvard Law School receiving her LL.B. from Columbia Law School.  She began her career serving as a law clerk to Edmund L. Palmieri, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, from 1959–1961.

Continuing her career, throughout many roles, advocating for civil rights, women’s issues, worker’s rights and equality, she became a key player in contributing to the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, and served as the ACLU’s general Counsel from 1973–1980, and on the National Board of Directors from 1974–1980.

After being appointed Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1980, President Clinton nominated her as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court—taking her seat on August 10, 1993 next to Sandra Day O’Connor the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

She married Martin D. Ginsburg in 1954, and has a daughter, Jane, and a son, James. After 56 years of marriage, her husband passed away in June 2010. Not long after his passing, Ginsburg continued serving her position on the Supreme Court.

Ginsburg turning 79 today continues to serve the women of this country with her advocacy for equality and civil rights.  Ginsburg is an icon to young women of America, especially those pursuing a career in law.  Time and time again, she has proudly served her position to show that the Supreme Court is not entirely male —even when she was faced with some of life’s most difficult circumstances.

Ginsburg sets the standard for accountability; openly she has recognized the inaccuracies in history pertaining to equality, women, slavery, and Native Americans when no one else in her position seemed to be talking about such issues.  She continues to represent herself as a woman and more importantly as an individual that has ideas and perspectives that ultimately shape the outcomes of many issues currently facing our society and the world today.

Written by:
Kimberly Roush
Blog Manager

Sources:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2009-05-05-ruthginsburg_N.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-egypt_n_1248527.html

Using scholar interviews, archival materials, and dramatic reenactments based on her original writings, AUTUMN GEM brings the story of Qiu Jin to life. The hour-long film was produced and directed by two San Francisco Bay Area Chinese American filmmakers, Rae Chang and Adam Tow. It stars former China National martial arts champion and Hollywood stunt actress Li Jing.

AUTUMN GEM has screened at over 100 venues worldwide, including Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Princeton, Brown, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts Boston, University of British Columbia, and Australian National University.

As 2012 marks the centenary of the end of imperial rule in China, it is especially crucial to acknowledge the role of women in the country’s transition to a modern nation. AUTUMN GEM sheds light on a remarkable figure who continues to serve as an inspiration to Chinese women today.

San Francisco Bay Area Screenings

All events are free and open to the general public. For full details please visit http://autumn-gem.com

MARCH
March 1: San Jose State University
March 2: Atherton Library
March 6: Fremont Library
March 8: Foster City Library
March 10: Cupertino Library
March 11: Livermore Library
March 12: Los Altos Library
March 14: San Carlos Library
March 18: Mountain View Library
March 21: Sunnyvale Library
March 27: Campbell Library
March 28: San Jose King Library
March 31: Dublin Library

APRIL
April 7: Berryessa Library
April 24: Evergreen Library
April 25: Alameda Library

MAY
May 1: Belmont Library
May 2: Millbrae Library
May 10: Burlingame Library
May 12: Pacifica Sharp Park Library

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

SCFG hopes to aspire young girls and give them the self-confidence through these letters. These words of encouragement have continuously been a great source of encouragement to the girls and the organization is grateful to all those women who have contributed their personal story.

This project is just one of the many programs sponsored by SCFG to encourage girls from kindergarten through 6th grade to become future scientists. The organization also sponsors several free, hands-on after-school science clubs that meet once a week at public schools, community centers, and churches in Cambridge, Newton, Boston, and Lawrence.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of Women’s History Month and this year’s theme of Writing Women Back Into History, we wanted to take a moment to remember one of the greats: Marjorie Husted. Many of you probably recognize her by the fictional persona she helped create, Betty Crocker. Not only did Husted help create the first truly iconic domestic diva, she also voiced her in a weekly radio program called Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air which did a whole lot of what we do today: give cooking advice and tips, interview celebrities, share recipes, and share readers’ stories. The program lasted for over 20 years—may we be so lucky!

Husted started her career with Washburn-Crosby Co. in 1924, which was later merged with several other companies to form General Mills, the company that still uses the Betty Crocker name. She was a home economist who graduated from the University of Minnesota (where she was a Kappa Alpha Theta, for any of you Thetas who are readers!), and she was named Advertising Woman of the Year in 1949 by the Advertising Federation of America, one year before she helped published the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (one of Vesta’s standbys!).

Betty Crocker was created to be an all-American homemaker who was both knowledgeable and caring. The Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook is full of entertaining tips as well as recipes and cooking basics. And it is still both knowledgeable and entertaining and certainly worth a read if you haven’t looked at it for a while. The Betty Crocker brand has clearly withstood the test of time!