Women's History Month
To commemorate Women's History Month, we're spotlighting the significant achievements of women across history, as selected by our Social Studies Department.
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Mr. Dan Mahler, our Social Studies Co-Chair, has chosen Ida B. Wells as a particularly inspiring figure. Mr. Mahler admires Ida B. Wells as a courageous figure who was born into slavery and became an unstoppable voice against racism and sexism in the United States through her journalism in the decades after the Civil War. Her work is a testament to the power of facts, evidence, and persistence in the face of ignorance and indifference. Mr. Mahler also highlights a significant quote from Ida B. Wells: "The very frequent inquiry made after my lectures by interested friends is 'What can I do to help the cause?' The answer always is: 'Tell the world the facts.'" (From The Red Records, 1895)
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Mrs. Barbara Markham, our Social Studies teacher, has chosen Eleanor Roosevelt as an especially inspiring figure. Reflecting on Eleanor Roosevelt, Mrs. Markham describes her as the “First Lady of the World,” reinventing herself from a lonely, shy child of privilege to a world renowned writer, diplomat, and speaker. Despite enduring vicious criticism for her looks, her voice, and her civil rights activism, she became one of the most admired women of the twentieth century. Mrs. Markham also highlights a powerful quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
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Mr. Dan Mahler, our Social Studies Co-Chair, has chosen Ida B. Wells as a particularly inspiring figure. Mr. Mahler admires Ida B. Wells as a courageous figure who was born into slavery and became an unstoppable voice against racism and sexism in the United States through her journalism in the decades after the Civil War. Her work is a testament to the power of facts, evidence, and persistence in the face of ignorance and indifference. Mr. Mahler also highlights a significant quote from Ida B. Wells: "The very frequent inquiry made after my lectures by interested friends is 'What can I do to help the cause?' The answer always is: 'Tell the world the facts.'" (From The Red Records, 1895)
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Mrs. Barbara Markham, our Social Studies teacher, has chosen Eleanor Roosevelt as an especially inspiring figure. Reflecting on Eleanor Roosevelt, Mrs. Markham describes her as the “First Lady of the World,” reinventing herself from a lonely, shy child of privilege to a world renowned writer, diplomat, and speaker. Despite enduring vicious criticism for her looks, her voice, and her civil rights activism, she became one of the most admired women of the twentieth century. Mrs. Markham also highlights a powerful quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
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Dr. Andy Bozanic, our Social Studies teacher, has singled out Sister Rosetta Tharpe as an especially captivating figure. With a powerful voice and booming electric guitar, Sister Rosetta Tharpe thrilled audiences around the country from the 1930s through the 1960s. Nicknamed the “Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Tharpe helped establish the new genre before performers like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry made it famous. She became a celebrity musician despite the challenges she faced as a woman of color in the Jim Crow era. Her songs such as “Up Above My Head,” and “Didn’t It Rain” infused Blues and Gospel melodies with killer guitar licks, breaking social norms, and influencing artists from Aretha Franklin to Keith Richards. Dr. Bozanic found particular resonance in a quote from Sister Rosetta Tharpe: “All this new stuff they call rock ’n’ roll, why, I’ve been playing that for years now…Ninety percent of rock-and-roll artists came out of the church, their foundation is the church.”
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Mr. Keith Rolph, our Social Studies teacher, has spotlighted Elizabeth Cady Stanton for her profound impact. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an influential member of the founders of the women’s rights movement. Within two days of that first meeting over afternoon tea in 1848, she crafted the cornerstone document of the Women’s Rights Movement, a “Declaration of Sentiments” outlining the injustices and broken promises of our young nation. She used the Declaration of Independence as her model framework. Stanton grounded the struggle for women’s rights directly to a powerful American symbol of liberty; The Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Her work, along with other notable founders Lucretia Mott, Martha Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Jane Hunt is where the organized movement for Women’s Suffrage begins. At the heart of Mr. Rolph's admiration lies a poignant quote by Elizabeth Cady Stanton: “The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls."
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Mrs. Jennifer Buchanan, our Criminalistics teacher, selects Frances Glassner Lee for her significant impact. Frances Glessner Lee dedicated her life to the advancement of forensic medicine and scientific crime detection. Known as the “Mother of Forensic Science”, Frances Glassner Lee created the “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death”, a series of 18 miniature crime-scene dioramas for student analysis. These dioramas are still in use today and are held at the Maryland Chief Medical Examiner’s Office. She was also the first woman to be appointed (in 1943) a captain in the New Hampshire State Police. She became an advocate for forensic science. Mrs. Buchanan resonates with Glassner Lee's quote: "Every death leaves a mark on the world, no matter how small."
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Mrs. Bethann Higley, our Business teacher, highlights Madam C.J. Walker for her impactful contributions. Mrs. Higley is inspired by her perseverance, which allowed her to become one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in history. Her business model created a workforce of female sales agents who were empowered to become financially independent themselves. Above all, she used her wealth as a philanthropist in support of education, the arts and civil rights. Mrs. Higley found inspiration in Walker's quote: "Don’t wait for opportunities, create them yourself."
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Ms. Tori Closson, our Coordinator of Student Culture, chooses Stephanie Dabney for her impactful legacy. Reflecting on Dabney, Ms. Closson highlights, "She is a Black Ballerina from Philadelphia and that is where I am from. She decided to break all odds during the time where being a dancer was questioned (in some cases it still is) and she was defying odds as a Black woman. She has an extensive roster of performances during her lifetime while battling HIV. She was passionate about her craft and fulfilling her dream despite all obstacles."
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