Most of us have heard the age-old saying, “Behind every great man is a great woman,” but we do not often take the time to discover great women in history. March, a month dedicated to women’s history, is a great opportunity to pay closer attention to great women.
There are many ways to honor women during this month. A start would be by going to the library and reading a book about an influential woman. One good book to look into is “Warriors Can’t Cry,” which is based on the diaries of Melba Beals and her experience as one of the first African-American girl to attend a white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. An upbeat alternative would be one of Ellen DeGeneres’ books.
Another way would be by dedicating a movie night to a woman who has had a hand in the past. “The Rosa Parks Story” is an excellent movie about the life of Rosa Parks and what led up to the moment that would change the future of civil rights in the US. A second good choice for a movie is “Julie and Julia,” a feel-good funny movie based on the lives of two women.
If you are looking for something here on campus, the library is working on having an art display that honors women. Also, NEIU is once again hosting the Vagina Monologues on Tuesday, March 9 at 7p.m. Something else that was worth looking into on campus was the Silencing of Girls of Color event which was be screening “Dreams Deffered: The Sakia Gunn Film Project.” The screening was on Mar. 2 at 1:30pm in the Golden Eagles Room.
A place you can look to help you find some of the most influential women in U.S. history is the National Women’s Hall of Fame website at www.greatwomen.org, which not only lists the names of the women, but also what they did to deserve the induction. Some of the hall-of-famers include Abigail Adams, Maya Angelou, Susan B Anthony, Lucille Ball, Amelia Earhart and Harriet Tubman, among many others.
The past is, however, not the only place to look for great women to be admired. Look around you and you will undoubtedly find a few amazing women, perhaps a mom, a sister, a friend or even a boss. Take a few moments this month to acknowledge these women and let them know you have noticed the things they do which make them great to you.