Women’s History Month March 2021
Honoring the Accomplishments of Women
The month of March is an annual declared month which highlights the contributions of women events in history and society. Across the board, people are continuing to recognize the importance of gender representation, and women across the world are continuing to do things worth distinguishing and celebrating.
Women’s History Week
Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women planned and executed a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978. The organizers selected the week of March 8 to correspond with International Women’s Day.
Chrissa McFarlane’s Patientory, Inc., which she founded in 2015. Patientory allows patients and healthcare providers to access and
transfer healthcare data.
McFarlane stresses that health tech is vital because it “improves the quality of healthcare delivery, increases patient safety, and strengthens the interaction between patients and healthcare providers.”
Amy Yu’s Antlia Systems, which she founded in 2017. A leader in the biosecurity industry. The Chicago-based company specializes in integrated body temperature testing equipment for offices throughout North and Central America.
Yu states that we first “looked at the tech we had, and then how we could adjust to thermal detection as quickly as possible because fever is the number one detectable symptom of COVID-19.”
Women History Makers:
Why Women’s History? Women’s contributions and accomplishments have largely been unnoticed and consequently omitted from mainstream culture.
Lets’ explore biographies about a few influential women.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Here’s How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Changed American Life for the Better
As a first Jewish judge, Ginsburg was considered part of the Supreme Court’s moderate-liberal bloc, presenting a strong voice in favor of gender equality, the rights of workers and the separation of church and state.
- Ginsburg co-founded the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project
- Ginsburg fought for the rights of the LGBT community, undocumented people and disabled people.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
A Look Back at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Momentous First Year in Congress
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also recognized by her initials, AOC, is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district since 2019.
- Ocasio-Cortez introduced, The Green New Deal as a congressional resolution which lays out a plan for tackling climate change
- Ocasio-Cortez drew national recognition when she won the Democratic Party’s primary election for New York’s 14th congressional district on June 26, 2018.
An Extraordinary Philanthropist
Priscilla Chan is an American philanthropist and pediatrician. She and her husband, Mark Zuckerberg, founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2015.
- The mission of the foundation is helping cure, prevent, or manage all diseases in our children’s lifetime.
- Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg have pledged to donate 99 percent of their wealth to charities over the course of their lives.
Inspire and Empower
“Don’t let anyone speak for you, and don’t rely on others to fight for you.” -Michele Obama
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. -Audre Lorde
“You’re not too fat. You’re not too loud. You’re not too smart. You’re not unladylike. There is nothing wrong with you.” -Jessica Valenti
“Be a Girl with a mind, a Woman with attitude, and a Lady with class.” -Anonymous
“You’re Allowed to Scream, You’re Allowed to Cry, But Do Not Give Up.” -Anonymous
Feminist Movies
| Hidden Figures |
| Becoming Jane |
| Gloria: In Her Own Words |
| Amazing Grace |
| Real Women Have Curves |
| Queen of Katwe |
Ideas for Celebrating Women’s History Month
- Thank of a woman who inspires you. Write her a letter. Send her a message on Facebook. Send her a gift of appreciation.
- Be nice to yourself. While you’re feeding your body good things, remember to feed your brain nice things, too. Try mediating or reciting a positive mantra
- Create an all-female music playlist.
- Go on a socially distanced hike with a women’s group.
- Take an exercise class that makes you feel strong. Whether you box, barre, or , grab some friends and make an afternoon of feeling fit together.
- Call or email your representatives about an issue that’s important to you
- Close the gender gap by investing. Women are paid less than men but earn more when they invest.
Children’s Books Celebrating Women and Girls.
A Philadelphia Legend Gets Her Wings.
Emma Chappell, Founder of United Bank of Philadelphia, passed away on March 16, 2021. While we are all saddened by her leaving us, we rejoice in the full life she led and the immense list of contributions she left. In her long and varied career, she was a civil rights activist, a banker, a political organizer, an international consultant, a community and public relations specialist, a women’s advocate, and a radio personality.
Emma Chappell is most notable for being the first African American women to establish a commercial bank in the United States. Emma’s bank focused on improving access to banking services for underserved communities. Emma understood there was a need for undeserved communities in Philadelphia to have access to financial resources. She knew funding small businesses would change life’s trajectory for our communities and the underprivileged. For Emma, true success for a community was not only a good job, fancy clothes, or a nice car. She understood true success was controlling the financial resources so critical to building economic independence and intergenerational wealth in the black community.
Never missing the opportunity for a dramatic exit, it is fitting Emma Chappell passed away in the middle of Women’s History month. Her advocacy and support to and for young women is unsaid, unseen and unsung, except for the multitude who received her selfless guidance. She continued to call and counsel the next generation of young women right up until the week before her passing. There are some people who “you give them an inch and they take a…” Emma Chappell was a mile maker. At a time when a black owned bank seemed impossible, Emma made it possible. She persisted, persevered and overachieved. Her actions were legendary. It takes a lot of courage and a true humanitarian to administer so much dedication to the underserved.
All WES Health System employees also owe Emma a tremendous debt of gratitude. In 1996 WES was dangerously close to financial collapse. At that time when the city had ceased contract payments due to alleged financial irregularities; employee health insurance had been cancelled; and payroll checks were not honored due to lack of funds. No bank would issue the organization a line of credit. Facing imminent collapse, the agency reached out to United Bank as a final resort. Emma jumped to our rescue and provided WES with a sorely needed loan for one million dollars. This loan helped stabilize our organization and propel our success. Twenty-five years later we are still here. It is in no small measure due to the faith she had in the work we do, that we continue to exist to this day. Even with such an impressive list of accomplishments, Emma would be the first to tell you her greatest achievement was being a mother and grandmother.
Emma leaves behind a cherished legacy and an incredibly moving story full of dedication, success, and selfless servitude which many Philadelphian’s have benefited from. We can think of a no more deserving person than Emma getting her wings.
Rest in Peace.
You can find Emma’s biography within these two links:
