March - National Women's History Month

Many women from our past have positively impacted our society and culture. Many women today are doing the same. National Women's History Month is an excellent opportunity to look at our past and present to see where we have been and where we are going thanks to the women who had and have the courage to make a difference. Three of the many women who have influenced our society are Susan B. Anthony, Henrietta Lacks, and Jacqueline Kennedy.

Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820 and spent much of her life passionate about justice. She was not well liked because during a time when people owned slaves, Anthony was involved with the American Anti-Slavery Society (Anonymous, 2009). She also advocated for women's rights and the rights for all American citizens.

When Susan was 26 years old, she became the head of the girls' department and taught girls at Canajoharie Academy; she was a leader in educational reform because she wanted women to be well educated and wanted women to be included in decision-making committees in the professional realm of education (Anonymous, 2009). She strongly advocated for all people to become educated regardless of race. By the 1890's, Susan raised $50,000 in efforts to guarantee the admittance and education of all people at the University of Rochester (Anonymous, 2009). Women were allowed admittance for the first time in 1900 (Anonymous, 2009).

While working at the academy, Susan joined a group called the Daughters of Temperance; the group's mission was to bring attention to the adverse effects of drunkenness on communities and families (Anonymous, 2009).

In the work force, Susan fought for equality for women. The main theme was equal pay for equal work. Because of her advocacy for women in the workplace, she was labeled "an enemy of labor" (Anonymous, 2009, para. 16). Although Susan created great change in regard to workplace equality, gender-bias is still an issue. Wal-mart was recently involved in a gender-bias lawsuit. In corporate America we can often still find traditional discrimination such as in the Wal-mart class action suit. The Department of Labor reports that women make 77 cents for every dollar that a man earns (Anonymous, 2011). We have come a long way but there are some that are still trailing behind.

In 1869 Susan joined forces with Elizabeth Cady Stanton to found the American Equal Rights Association in part to promote women's right to vote (Anonymous, 2009). In 1872 Susan was arrested for voting; in 1873 a judge advised the jury to find her guilty (Anonymous, 2009). Susan also urged that there be equality in marriages.

Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks never knew the critical role she played in the discovery of great things in modern medicine. The world has benefitted from what are considered Henrietta's immortal cells (Zielinski, 2010). When Henrietta was 30 years old she developed cervical cancer; while at Johns Hopkins, a doctor took some of her tumor and did not tell her (Zielinski, 2010). Henrietta died of cancer in 1951 (Monsen, 2011). In the laboratory, scientists were exuberant that her cells never died and her cells became the "...first immortal human cells ever grown in culture" (Zielinski, 2010, para. 3).

Henrietta's cells allowed for cultivation of a cell line for 60 years in labs all over the world (Monsen, 2011). Her cells were called HeLa cells. They have led to a greater understanding of human genetics and cellular function; Henrietta's cells were vital in creating the polio vaccine and have been used in scientific milestones involving gene mapping, cancer research, AIDS research, cloning, in vitro fertilization, and many other scientific pursuits (Zielinski, 2010).

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy

Jacqueline Kennedy was born in 1929 and died in 1994 (The National First Ladies' Library, 2009). Besides being the wife of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the nation's 35^th president, Jacqueline Kennedy has earned her place in women's history. Jacqueline had a love and great respect for the arts. World-renowned violinist Isaac Stern wrote to Jacqueline to thank her for paying serious attention to the arts; she planned and executed events and invited writers, poets, artists, musicians, and scientists to socialize with politicians, statesmen, and diplomats (Anonymous, n.d.).

Jacqueline was able to speak several foreign languages; she traveled with her husband and was a good will ambassador (Anonymous, n.d.). In Mohammed Badrul Alam's book, Jackie Kennedy: Trailblazer (2006), the author highlights her influence on the Kennedy Doctrine, on King Hassan of Morocco, and the influence she had during historical trips to Paris and India.

She was always on a quest to secure America's cultural heritage. She was a private woman, a woman of integrity. In our nation's history Jacqueline Kennedy set a precedent for future first ladies. Michelle Obama topped Forbes' 2010 World's 100 Most Powerful Women list and has been referred to as, "Jackie Kennedy with a law degree" (Fitz, 2010).

Susan B. Anthony met great resistance in her efforts but remained steadfast in her endeavors. Henrietta Lacks never knew how important her immortal cells would be to the scientific community and the world. Jacqueline Kennedy, with her grace and integrity, was a role model for good will in foreign affairs as well as for embracing and celebrating the country's heritage and the arts. Embodied in our nation's history are influential women who have positively impacted our society and its structure. Women today continue to influence society and persevere in the quest for cultivating and nurturing a strong societal structure, not only for women, but for us all.

References:

Alam, M.B. (2006). Jackie Kennedy: Trailblazer. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=OKpjSXHmzqQC&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=jackie+kennedy+good+will+ambassador&source=bl&ots=xCNuii1Tv1&sig=h4kpe3kY9CepC9IuJIp63PYYdVo&hl=en&ei=Cz5sTcDNG862twfDhbHmAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=jackie%20kennedy%20good%20will%20ambassador&f=false

Anonymous. (2009). Biography of Susan B. Anthony. Retrieved from http://susanbanthonyhouse.org/her-story/biography.php

Anonymous. (2011). Women vs. Wal-mart. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/voices/walmart-v-women-in-the-workplace/5613/

Anonymous. (n.d.). Life of Jacqueline B. Kennedy. Retrieved from http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/Life-of-Jacqueline-B-Kennedy.aspx?p=2

Fitz, T. (2010). Forbes: 'Michelle Obama, Jackie Kennedy with a law degree'. Retrieved from http://www.chicagonewsreport.com/2010/10/forbes-michelle-obama-jackie-kennedy.html

Monsen, L. (2011). The immortal cells of Henrietta Lacks. Retrieved from http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2011/February/20110211151417nerual0.794552.html

The National First Ladies' Library. (2009). First lady biography: Jackie Kennedy. Retrieved from http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=36

Zielinski, S. (2010). Henrietta Lacks' 'Immortal' cells. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Henrietta-Lacks-Immortal-Cells.html