Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope. These are Reinhold Niebuhr’s words, and they speak volumes about the work of those engaged in the struggle for full human rights and dignity. As we celebrate Women’s History Month in a nation that has recently elected its first woman Vice President, we hope for more progress for all women. This was part of the spirit coursing through the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848. The women who planned the event knew the journey they embarked on would not be completed in their lifetimes. They also knew that others, men and women, would continue the march towards equality and full citizenship, to include the right to vote.
Since that day in 1848, many women have fulfilled the hope and promise espoused by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. You know some of them, such as Ida B. Wells, the flappers, Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Frances Perkins. And there were so many whose names have not been recorded and whose stories we do not know. As women continue to make history, we must share their accounts to pursue and achieve inclusion. As citizens, our understanding of the value and impact women have had, and continue to have on our society, is a significant benefit to our nation. This critical reflection is equally crucial for all students, not just women and girls. When we open doors for women, doors open for all people.
When a little girl learns the history of Katherine Johnson and her role in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) success, that little girl learns that her passion for math can be realized in a career. Similarly, when boys see women step outside of traditional roles, their thinking is reframed, and they see traditional male jobs no longer confining them.
Each of us has stories of women in our lives who have impacted where we are today. I think back to my paternal grandmother. During World War II, while my grandfather served in the Army, my grandmother stepped up at home to make airplanes. She did not make airplanes to show the variety of jobs women can do. She did it because there was a need. Little did she know these actions assisted her granddaughters in seeing the variety of roles women can hold. Now it is up to me to teach my seven-year-old son about his grandmother’s impact because her history is now part of his.
Our goal in education is to assist students to realize their full potential. As we reflect and learn about the women of history, including those in our own family, let us all reflect on how we can each reach our full potential. When we each live our potential, we leave a better world for those who will come after us.
DeWayne Street
Chief Equity Office
Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
Dr. Amy Grosso
Director of Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health Services
Find books on Women’s History in our campus Libraries.
Learn about Women’s History in our community by visiting the Round Rock ISD History website.
* Photo of CD Fulkes Middle School’s Girls 8A basketball team, 1993-94.
