The month of March is an important one for various reasons —not only because it is Irish and Greek Heritage month, but also because it marks the time of year when people around the world recognize the importance of women! Similar to most history months, the 31-day celebration that we now know as Women’s History Month began as a week. During the week of March 8th, 1978, organizers of the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women in Santa Rosa, California took it upon themselves to curate and execute the first-ever Women’s History Week celebration, taking time out to recognize the advances of women throughout American History. This movement soon caught wind, leading other communities across the country to create their own women’s history celebrations the following year.

              With help from the National Women’s History Alliance, the week was soon noticed on a national level in the February of 1980. During this time, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the first National Women’s History Week to take place the week of March 8th. Throughout the years, presidents continued to issue proclamations celebrating the week, which soon led to each president calling for all of March to be recognized as Women’s History Month.

During the remainder of this month, we at the Southern Bell urge you, South students, to celebrate with the women in your lives and take time to remember all that women have done throughout history to bring us to where we are today.