Forgotten History and An Impressive Face Book site - "Mighty Girl" with Today's Women Making History

Photo courtesy of "Mighty Girl" Face Book site - which impressed me. Fair use for non-profit news reporting and commentary. https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl/

Forgotten History

16-year-old Sybil Ludington became a hero of the American Revolutionary War. At approximately 9 pm on April 26, 1777, Sybil, the eldest daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington, climbed onto her horse and proceeded to ride 40 miles in order to muster local militia troops in response to a British attack on the town of Danbury, Connecticut -- covering twice the distance that... Paul Revere rode during his famous midnight ride.

Riding all night through rain, Sybil returned home at dawn having given nearly the whole regiment of 400 Colonial troops the order to assemble. While the regiment could not save Danbury from being burned, they joined forces with the Continental Army following the subsequent Battle of Ridgefield and were able to stop the British advance and force their return to their boats.

Following the battle, General George Washington personally thanked Sybil for her service and bravery. Although every American school child knows the story of Paul Revere, unfortunately few are taught about Sybil Ludington's courageous feat and her contribution to war effort.

                                                NANCY WAKE

Ms. Wake - Photo courtesy of "Mighty Girl" Face Book site - which impressed me. Fair use for non-profit news reporting and commentary.  https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl/

British secret agent Nancy Wake was the Allies' most decorated servicewoman of WWII and the Gestapo's most-wanted person. By 1943, the Gestapo had placed a 5 million franc bounty on her head and nicknamed her the "White Mouse" for her ability to elude capture.

Born in New Zealand in 1912, Wake grew up in Australia but ran away from home at the age of 16 to become a nurse and later a journalist. She used an inheritance from an aunt to travel to New York, London, and then to Paris where she worked for a variety of news outlets during the 1930s. She and her husband, Henri Fiocca, were living in Marseille when Germany invaded France, trapping them in the country. Undaunted, Wake became a courier for the Resistance and helped stranded British military personnel escape capture and return to the UK.

When the local resistance network was betrayed in 1943, Wake fled Marseille; her husband remained behind to settle the family business and was captured and executed by the Gestapo after he refused to disclose her location. Wake was herself arrested in Toulouse, but was released four days later when the Gestapo didn’t realize her true identity. From Toulouse, Wake tried five times to escape into neutral Spain, but each of these attempts were thwarted by German patrols. At one point to escape, Wake was forced to hurl herself from a train window while dodging gunfire. Finally, on her sixth attempt Wake was able to cross into Spain while buried in the back of a coal truck.

From Spain, Wake made her way to Britain and was soon recruited by the Special Operations Executive, the British organization focused on conducting espionage and aiding resistance movements in Nazi-occupied territory. Wake distinguished herself in training and parachuted into France in April 1944, less than a year after her daring escape. Wake’s instructions were to help the Resistance to prepare to assist the Allied invasion and she dedicated herself to building up various resistance groups into a cohesive fighting force. With her help, this group of 7,500 French Resistance guerrilla fighters assaulted factories and communications, successfully engaging over 22,000 SS soldiers.

After the war, Wake was honored by Australia, France, Great Britain, and the US for her service. She continued to work as an intelligence officer and also tried her hand at politics. She published her autobiography, “The White Mouse”, and her story was also featured in several TV shows and movies, including a 1987 made for TV movie called “Nancy Wake.” She scoffed at her portrayal in that film, which showed her cooking breakfast and getting romantically involved with another resistance member: “For goodness sake, did the allies parachute me into France to fry eggs and bacon for the men?” she said. “There wasn’t an egg to be had for love nor money, and even if there had been, why would I be frying it when I had men to do that sort of thing?” Wake passed away in London in 2011 at the age of 98
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Nancy Wake is one of 26 incredible women featured in the excellent book for ages 13 and up, "Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue" at http://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-ii

For adult readers, there is also a recent biography about her amazing story: "Nancy Wake: SOE's Greatest Heroine" http://amzn.to/1BGXJZv
A complementary book telling the stories of heroic women of WWI was also recently released: "Women Heroes of World War I: 16 Remarkable Resisters, Soldiers, Spies, and Medics" at http://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-world-war-i
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o learn about another real-life WWII resistance fighter, British special agent Pearl Witherington, check out "Code Name Pauline," for ages 12 and up at http://www.amightygirl.com/code-name-pauline

To learn about more heroic women from throughout history, check out our recent blog post, "Spies, Medics, Soldiers, & Peacemakers: 15 Women Wartime Heroes You Should Know" at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11974

Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green "I'm really hoping this can change the way we treat cancer in America,"

Dr. Green - Photo courtesy of "Mighty Girl" Face Book site - which impressed me. Fair use for non-profit news reporting and commentary.  https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl/

Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green, one of fewer than 100 black female physicists in the US, was recently awarded a $1.1 million grant to further develop her revolutionary technology that uses laser-activated nanoparticles to treat cancer. "I'm really hoping this can change the way we treat cancer in America," the assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine told AL.com. "There are so many people who only get a three-month or six-month survival benefit from the drugs they take. Then three or six months later, they're sent home with no hope, nothing else we can do. Those are the patients I want to try to save, the ones where regular medicine isn't effective for them."

The loss of close family members to the disease fuels Green's drive to find more effective treatments. After the death of her parents, she was raised by an aunt and uncle, both of whom died from cancer. She took time off from school to help her uncle through chemotherapy and says that she "saw first-hand how devastating it was." She adds that her aunt "refused the treatment because she didn't want to experience the side effects. It was heartbreaking, but I could appreciate she wanted to die on her own terms." This experience motivated her to find alternative cancer treatments that don't have the devastating side effects of radiation and chemotherapy.

In addition to pursuing her research, which has received a huge boost by the grant from the Veterans Administration HBCU-Research Scientist Training Program Career Development Award, Green also works to inspire the next generation to follow in her footsteps. Physics is still an overwhelmingly male profession so Green rarely turns down invitations to speaks at schools and nonprofit organizations. "Usually if there is an invitation to speak at a forum like that, I accept it because I feel like it's a responsibility," she says. "There are so few of us (black women in STEM fields) I don't feel like I have the luxury to say I'm too busy."

"There are black female scientists who don't get media exposure," she continues. "Because of that, young black girls don't see those role models as often as they see Beyonce or Nicki Minaj. It's important to know that our brains are capable of more than fashion and entertainment and music, even though arts are important... It takes a village to raise a child. I repeat that because a village of people helped raise me and instill values in me, and encouraged me to get to this point. I did not get here by myself. Because of that clarity, I know my responsibility to encourage and mentor the next generation."

To read more about Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green's research on AL.com, visit http://bit.ly/1OzMZYi
To inspire Mighty Girl of all ages with stories starring girls who love science, visit our blog post, "Ignite Her Curiosity: 25 Books Starring Science-Loving Mighty Girls," at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10940

Role models help show Mighty Girls everywhere the possibilities before them -- to introduce your Mighty Girl to real-life female trailblazers in science, arts, and other fields, visit our "Role Models" biography section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/history-biography/biography

To learn about more pioneering women of science, we highly recommend the new book "Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science -- And The World," for teens and adults alike at http://www.amightygirl.com/headstrong-52-women

And, for our favorite science kits and toys to encourage your own budding scientist from a young age, check out our blog post, "Top 40 Science Toys for Mighty Girls" at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10528

Womens History Month - March 2015

"“Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives” is the theme for National Women’s History Month 2015.
The theme presents the opportunity to weave women’s stories – individually and collectively – into the essential fabric of our nation’s history." Brochure - http://www.nwhp.org/wp-content/uploads/2015_brochure.pdf

IN HONOR OF WOMEN HISTORY MONTH 2015 Inspirational Quotes By Famous Women

Secretary of the Air Force: Women's History Month

Deaf Women History Month - 2015

Womens History Month 2013

 

For March 2013, the National Women’s History Project selected the theme, "Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics." It is with great pleasure that we announce the Honorees for National Women’s History Month 2013. The 18 women chosen are all extraordinary visionaries and role models in the STEM fields, where women are still noticeably underrepresented.  http://www.nwhp.org/whm/honorees2012.php

Womens History Month Facts, U.S. Department of the Census

National Women's History Month's roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women's Day was first observed in 1909, but it wasn't until 1981 that Congress established National Women's History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women's History Month, and the President has issued a proclamation.

158.3 million
The number of females in the United States in 2011. The number of males was 153.3 million.
Source: Population Estimates: 2011, Table NC_EST2011_01
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html>
At 65 and older, there were 13.3 percent more women than men in 2011. Source: Population Estimates: 2011, Table NC_EST2011_01
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html>

For more census facts about women: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb13-ff04.html

Women in Military Service: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0212_womenshistory/

Women's History Month - March 2012

2012 National Women’s History Month Theme: Womens Education-Women's Empowerment

Department of Defense Theme Poster for Womens History Month (Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute -DEOMI)

March is Women's History Month. In Jackson County we have realized many firsts relating to women's history. The first female Circuit Court Judge in Jackson County, Judge Jennifer Holt. Judge Holt took office on October the 1st, 1996. Judge Holt is also the first female to open a law practice in Jackson County Alabama - 1984. Our first female Jackson County Commission Chairperson, Ms. Sadie Bias http://www.jacksoncountyal.com/commission.html and the first female Scottsboro High School Principle, Ms. Cathy Hughes http://shs.scottsboroschools.net/?PageName='PrincipalsCorner' If anyone is aware of more firsts for women in Jackson County please list them in the comment section of this blog.

"Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week." Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women’s History Week." In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month." Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” " http://womenshistorymonth.gov/index.html

From the Law Library of Congress' guide to the legislative history of Women's History Month.

Womens History Month Slide Show: http://www.historypin.com/collections/slideshow/id/8691041/

"The equal opportunity to learn, taken for granted by most young women today, owes much to Title IX of the Education Codes of the Higher Education Act Amendments. This legislation, passed in 1972 and enacted in 1977, prohibited gender discrimination by federally funded institutions. It has become the primary tool for women's fuller participation in all aspects of education from scholarships, to facilities, to classes formerly closed to women. Indeed, it transformed the educational landscape of the United States within the span of a generation." http://www.nwhp.org/whm/index.php

There is another bit of local history involving a local lady which I would like to tell you about. A lady and adventurer who died doing what she loved - FLYING. Although I never had the privilege of meeting Ms. Sharon Johnston, I feel like I know her through the spirit of her brothers and sister. "Sharon Johnston Park is a 250 acre park located in New Market, Al, in the northeast corner of Madison County. The Madison County Commission along with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources entered into an agreement to dedicate Sharon Johnston Memorial Park on June 4, 1979. Sharon Johnston's family gave the park to the community in her name after her death, because it was a place she loved dearly, where her father had built a lake, worked to conserve wildlife, and had taught his children about the wonders of nature. Sharon was an aerobatics pilot, and died in a crash at the age of 31 while performing before 250,000 people at the South Weymouth (MA) Naval Air Station in 1974." I post the video below in memory of "Shannon" for Gretel.



I leave you with this notation from  Emma Willard, in her 1819 Plan for Improving Female Education, noted with derision the focus of women's "education" on fostering the display of youth and beauty, and asserted that women are "the companions, not the satellites of men"--"primary existences" whose education must prepare them to be full partners in life's journey.

Womens History Month

Poster from Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.
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March is Women’s History Month, Library of Congress presentation.
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The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of women whose commitment to nature and the planet have proved invaluable to society.
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-About Women’s History Month
Before the 1970’s, the topic of women’s history was largely missing from general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978 and chose the week of March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day.
The celebration was met with positive response, and schools began to host their own Women’s History Week programs. The next year, leaders from the California group shared their project at a Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. Other participants not only became determined to begin their own local Women’s History Week projects but also agreed to support an effort to have Congress declare a national Women’s History Week.
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In 1981, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) cosponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming a “Women’s History Week.”
In 1987, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women’s History Month Resolution has been approved every year with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
Information from the National Women’s History Project
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About This Year's Theme:
-Writing Women Back into History
The overarching theme is “Writing Women Back into History.” In celebration of their 30th anniversary, the National Women’s History Project will be highlighting themes and honorees from previous years. Each of these past themes recognizes a different aspect of women’s achievements, from ecology to art, and from sports to politics.
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Library of Congress Link: http://www.womenshistorymonth.gov/