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| Maryland Women's Heritage Center |
Volume 2, Issue 2
Winter 2010
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March 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the Maryland Women's History Project, developed through a collaboration between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education. From its inception, the Maryland Women's History Project was dedicated to honor and celebrate the contributions of Maryland women and girls of diverse backgrounds and regions --- both renowned and previously unknown.
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Maryland Women's Heritage Center
501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Organization
Executive Board:
Frances Hughes Glendening, President,
Former First Lady of Maryland
Jill Moss Greenberg, Executive Director
Catherine "Katie" Curran O'Malley,
First Lady of Maryland
Kendel S. Ehrlich,
Former First Lady of Maryland
Shoshana S. Cardin, Honorary Development Chair
Michelle Duffy Orr, Treasurer
Nancy S. Grasmick,
State Superintendent of Schools
Helen Holton, Baltimore City Councilwoman and Chair of the Maryland Commission for Women
Sharon Pinder,
The Pinder Group, LLC
Susan Shaffer, Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium
Linda A. Shevitz, Coordinator of Maryland Women's History Project
Charles Edward Senseney, Accountant
Mark L. Shaffer, Counsel and Site Selection Chair
Honorary Board:
Lucille Clifton, Poet and Author, Former Maryland Poet Laureate
Dominique Dawes, Olympic Champion
Helen Delich Bentley, Former Congresswoman and First Woman Director of the U. S. Maritime Commission
Barbara A. Mikulski, United States Senator
Cokie Roberts, Commentator and Author
Nora Roberts, International Best-Selling Author of Mystery and Romance Novels
Board of Directors:
Lori Askinazi
Diana Bailey
Sarian Bouma
Betty Buck
Linda Busick
Penny Chrissomallis
Rita Colwell
Patricia E. Cornish
Catherine Gira
Joanne T. Goldsmith
Susan R. Gould
William "Britt" Kirwan
Juanita Tamayo Lott
David H. Nevins
Jo-Ann Mayer Orlinsky
Maria Torres Queral
Rita L. Robinson
Carole Sibel
Nancy Lindberg Sloane
Carolyn B. Stegman
Carmen Delgado Votaw
Sue Ward
Kathy Wilmot
Deborah A. Yow | |
Quarterly Newsletter
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center's quarterly newsletter provides updates on events and activities of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, as well as our progress in making the Center a reality. If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail us. |
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 Letter from the Executive Director
Jill Moss Greenberg
Happy Women's History Month!
This year marks the 30th anniversary of celebrating Women's History in the United States and in Maryland. At the national level, our good friends from the National Women's History Project, including its director, Molly Murphy MacGregor, were able to persuade President Jimmy Carter to proclaim the first National Women's History Week. One of our Maryland Women's Heritage Center Board Members, Carmen Delgado Votaw, served as co-chair of President Carter's Commission for Women. Within a few years, it quickly became National Women's History Month! A Congressional leader in this effort was Maryland's own Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, then a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Mikulski currently serves as a member of the Honorary Board of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
For those who may not know, March 8 is International Women's Day. It was because of that, already celebrated in numerous countries throughout the world, that March was selected as the month for Women's History Month. Maryland Governor Harry Hughes proclaimed the first Maryland Women's History Week. At that ceremony, Alexa Champion, an eight year old Maryland student read a letter that she had written in response to her teacher's request for feedback from the class on their unit on Maryland History. Governor Hughes had a huge smile as Alexa read this note she had written to her teacher:
Mary Young Pickersgill was the most interesting person we studied, because she made two different flags for Maryland. One was hung over Fort McHenry and she made another. The flags encouraged everyone to keep on going in the war. She was a young woman when she made the flags. Each flag took her hard months of work. Her mother also made a flag for General Washington.
I especially enjoyed Mary Young Pickersgill, but I wondered why we have to study 5 men and only 1 woman. Why can't we study 1 man and 5 women? Also, we could study important people from other races.
Why don't you have 3 men and 3 women if you want to have interesting lessons? I think that your lessons are so far so good. I liked most things we studied about the people and things in Maryland. I enjoyed learning about everyone because I liked what most of them did for Maryland especially Mary Pickersgill who made two flags for Maryland. But remember there are other women who made important contributions to Maryland. If we study mostly men then it looks like the women don't do anything. Also we didn't study any important people from other races like Native Americans and Blacks. There have got to have been at least one important Black person or Native American long ago.
Sincerely,
Alexa Champion
What is it they say about "out of the mouths of babes?" Alexa really understood how the stories of all of us, from every group and every region of Maryland, were important. It's a great example of why the Maryland Women's Heritage Center is working hard to Add Herstory to History to tell Ourstory, so that ALL of us are included!
Please look at the rest of this newsletter and at our Website, to identify many events that are happening to honor Women's History Month in Maryland. Our State is chock-full of super events in every corner of Maryland! Check with the Maryland Commission for Women and your local Commission for Women for additional events near you.
Since our last newsletter, we had a great loss to the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, our State, the nation --- and the world. Lucille Clifton, author, poet and former Maryland Poet Laureate, passed away quite suddenly. She served on the Honorary Board of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center and was an inspiration, teacher and mentor to so many people, particularly the students at St. Mary's College. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to her beautiful family. In her honor and memory, we have created The Lucille Clifton Fund for the Arts at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. More information is below. Click here to donate.
Please also think about how YOU can become involved in some way. The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is for everyone in Maryland --- and for those who visit our marvelous state. We can use your support in a number of ways --- all of which you can inquire about through our Website:
1.) Donate Funds NOW - If you send $1, $5, or $1,000, each dollar will make a difference. Since State funds are so scarce this year, we particularly need the financial help of every Marylander. See the article further on in this newsletter about the incredible Challenge Grant of $25,000 that we have been offered - IF we can match it by next week!
2.) Volunteer to Help - We need people now to get the Center ready for opening. When we open our doors this spring, we will need people in a variety of roles. A special training session will be conducted for those who would like to serve as docents or in other volunteer positions. E-mail us if you want to be notified about the training. We also need IT people, archivists, artists and researchers, handywomen or men, and you!
3. Add Your Organization to the List of Supporting Organizations - No financial obligation is required, just the group's support for the importance of creating the Maryland Women's Heritage Center as a national model for inclusion, diversity, history and action. We want to document the tremendous support for creating this "herstoric" Center! E-mail us if your company or organization would like to be involved.
4. Tell Us About The Unsung Heroines in Your Life - We want to hear the stories of your mothers, grandmothers, spouses, partners, daughters, sisters, teachers, nurses, crossing guards, or other girls and women who have played significant roles in your lives, your communities, or your workplaces. She may be living or deceased, but her story is important and we want to preserve it for posterity. Please share these women and girls with us along with a photo, video, etc., if you have one.
Happy Women's History Month - and best wishes for a successful and joy-filled spring!
Jill Moss Greenberg
Executive Director
Maryland Women's Heritage Center |
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 Center News
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center will open its initial home in Spring 2010.
The Center will be located at 39 West Lexington Street in downtown Baltimore at the corner of Lexington and Liberty streets in the former Baltimore Gas & Electric Building. This space was graciously donated by David Hillman, CEO of the Southern Management Corp.
As noted in a recent article in The Baltimore Sun (January 31, 2010) about the opening of the Center:
"Plans call for the heritage center to include a mix of exhibits and displays, including tributes to well-known Maryland women in the statewide Hall of Fame and "unsung heroines" who made key contributions to the state and nation.
The heritage center also will serve as a resource center, a clearinghouse for information about Maryland women, a meeting place for groups that address women's concerns and issues, and a setting for performances and events. There will be a reference library, history archive, student learning center, reception space and gift shop. Large display windows along Liberty Street, where BGE once featured washing machines, stoves and other domestic appliances, will be used to promote the center's exhibits and events."
39 West Lexington Street, Baltimore
Admission is Free
Hours of operation: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm
Public phone number: 410-767-0675
Parking & Directions
Edison Parking Garage, 100 West Fayette Street;
Rennert Garage, 227 North Liberty Street; Central Parking, 16 West Saratoga Street
Limited street parking is also located in the vicinity
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 We Need Your Support!
As the Maryland Women's Heritage Center looks to open its first physical space this Spring, we are in need of your support now more than ever!
An anonymous donor has made a wonderful and generous challenge to donate $25,000 to the Maryland Women's Heritage Center if we are able to raise $50,000.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation, in any amount, to the Maryland Women's Heritage Center and become a "founding" sponsor of the Center!
Click here to make a donation online, or mail your donation to:
Maryland Women's Heritage Center
P.O. Box 719
Brooklandville, MD 21022-0719
In addition to financial support, we are seeking donations of selected items, such as computers, 1950s style kitchen tables and chairs, among others. We are also always looking for individuals to share their ideas, resources, time and energy with us. E-mail us if you can help!
Please help us "add herstory to history to tell ourstory!" |
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 Leave Your Mark
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is in need of volunteers to help paint the walls of the new Center located at 39 West Lexington Street, Baltimore.
Leave your mark, literally! The Painting Party will take place on Saturday, April 10.
To volunteer, or for more information, contact Kathy Wilmot, Maryland Women's Heritage Center Board Member.
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 Contact Us
In addition to the Maryland Women's Heritage Center Website, there are a variety of ways to stay informed about the Maryland Women's Heritage Center!
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center has launched a Facebook page and Twitter account to share information about the Center:
Maryland Women's Heritage Center volunteer Donna Vincent Roa has also started a blog for the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. Click here to view it.
As always, e-mail us if you have any questions or comments! |
 Poet Laureate Lucille Clifton (1936 - 2010)
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is sad to announce the passing of former Maryland Poet Laureate and Member of our Heritage Center Honorary Board, Lucille Clifton (pictured).
An accomplished and nationally-recognized poet and author, Lucille was recently honored along with two of her daughters at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center's "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters" luncheon with Cokie Roberts on April 29, 2009.
Lucille Clifton has been an inspiration to us, through her magnificent writings and her meaningful life. She has been a strong advocate for human rights and justice. We use this passage from one of her poems as a guiding motto as we create the Maryland Women's Heritage Center:
I need to know their names
those women I would have walked with...
all those women who could have known me.
Where in the world are their names?
Lucille Clifton Fund for Women in the Arts
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center will work to assure that the name of Lucille Clifton, and the rich legacy that she leaves, is preserved and transmitted to current and future generations.
Her daughter has given permission for us to establish a fund in her memory at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. The Lucille Clifton Fund will honor Women in the Arts, with particular emphasis on girls and women of color and those working for social justice.
If you would like to donate to this fund in her honor, please click here or send your donation to:
Maryland Women's Heritage Center
Attn: The Lucille Clifton Fund
P.O. Box 719
Brooklandville, MD 21022-0719
We would also welcome your notes, photos, and memories about Lucille Clifton to post and preserve as part of our honoring her and the legacy that she has left to inspire all of us. Please e-mail these to Jill Moss Greenberg or send to the Maryland Women's Heritage Center at the above address. |
 30 Years of Women's History
March 2010 marks the 30th anniversaries of both the Maryland Women's History Project and the National Women's History Project. Prior to 1980, there were no official observances of women's history, and most people were unaware of the many contributions made by women and girls.
Nationally, the first resolution to establish a National Women's History Week was introduced through the advocacy of the National Women's History Project, in 1980, but was defeated in the U.S. Congress. Through another bill, sponsored by then Maryland Representative Barbara A. Mikulski (now an honorary board member of the MWHC), the U.S. House of Representatives designated the week beginning March 8, 1981, as National Women's History Week. (Congress later expanded the week to a whole month in 1987.)
At the same time as the national efforts, Maryland began to establish a Maryland Women's History Week. The Maryland Women's History Project was developed through a collaboration between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education and, from its inception, the Maryland Women's History Project was dedicated to honor and celebrate the contributions of Maryland women and girls of diverse backgrounds and regions-both renowned and previously unknown. This Project has since led to the creation of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center!
The National Women's History Project began in 1980 when President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation recognizing the importance of honoring, and celebrating the achievements of American women. To mark this historic anniversary celebration, the National Women's History Project is hosting a special event in the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, March 24.
In addition to this special event, the National Women's History Project and several women's organizations, including the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, will be sponsoring a series of events, programs, and celebrations from March 23 through March 28, including bus tours of women's historic sites on Thursday, March 25, 9 am - 1 pm, and Saturday, March 27, 9 am - 2 pm. E-mail the National Women's History Project for more information.
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Women's History Month 2010
March is Women's History Month! Help us in celebrating Maryland women of the past, present and future.
We are celebrating Women's History Month this March by participating in many exciting and activities. A full list of Women's History Month events taking place throughout the State of Maryland is available on our Website. If you know of an event that is not listed, please submit it for inclusion on our calendar.
STEMming Out to Change the World: The 4th Annual Women's Leadership ForumWednesday, March 10, 2010, 5 - 8:15 pm Mercy High School, Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Auditorium, 1300 E. Northern Parkway, Baltimore Cost is $5 per person or two food items for the Girl Scouts' Harvest for the Hungry Campaign
Hosted by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, this event gives girls and women the opportunity to talk with professionals in the fields of science and technology, including Judy Carroll, P.E., President of Carroll Engineering; Diana Parsons, CFO of Constantine Commercial Construction; Laura Thul Penza, AIA, LEED AP, Principal of Penza-Bailey Architects; and Joyce Ulrich, Managing Director of Legg-Mason. The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is a sponsor for this event. Reservations are required. To attend, contact Clarke Fitzmaurice at 410-358-9711, ext. 287.
 Ninth Annual ATHENA Award Women's Leadership Breakfast
Friday, March 12, 2010, 7:30 - 9:15 am
Richlin Ballroom at Harford Community College, 1700 Van Bibber Road, Edgewood
$35 per person
T he Maryland Women's Heritage Center is a partner for this special event, which honors a Harford County woman who has attained and personifies the highest level of professional excellence in her business or profession, has devoted time and energy to the community in a meaningful way and, most especially, has opened doors for leadership opportunities for women. For sponsor information, or to make a reservation, call Pat Hogan at 443-417-4176.
 "Girl Power. Reach for the Sky: Career Opportunities for the Women of Tomorrow"Sunday, March 14, 2010, 3 - 5pm Kosiakoff Center, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel
Supported by the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, this conference will encourage and promote career opportunities for young women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Attendees will be given the opportunity to talk with professional women with STEM careers. Parents are invited to accompany daughters. For more information, or to register for this free event, please contact the Women's Giving Circle. Directions to this event are available at http://www.jhuapl.edu.
 Women: Back to the Future
Tuesday, March 16, 2010,
11 am - 1:30 pm
The Gathering Place, 6120 Daylong Lane, Clarksville
$45 for Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber (BWCC) members (preregistered/prepaid) and $65 for nonmembers and BWCC members not prepaid.
The Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber (BWCC) hosts this special luncheon featuring a performance of "Women: Back to the Future" by Kate Campbell Stevenson (pictured right as Bessie Coleman) in support of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. Kate Campbell Stevenson brings to life three dynamic women from American history in this one-woman musical. For more information and/or to register to attend, call 301-725-4000 or 410-792-9714 or visit www.bwcc.org.
 Maryland Women's Hall of Fame Ceremony
President's Conference Room East I and II, Miller Senate Office Building II, Bladen Street, Annapolis
$30 per adult; $10 per child (10-15 years); Children under 10 are free
Established by the Maryland Commission for Women and the Women Legislators of Maryland, this annual event honors the 2010 inductees of the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame. The Maryland Women's Hall of Fame celebrates Maryland women who have made unique and lasting contributions to the economic, political, cultural and social life of the state, and provides visible models of achievement for tomorrow's female leaders. The Maryland Women's Hall of Fame will be housed at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. For more information, or to register to attend (deadline is March 5), contact the Maryland Commission for Women at 410-767-3049 or e-mail [email protected]. |
Maryland Women's Hall of Fame
Since 1985, the Maryland Commission for Women and the Women Legislators of Maryland annually honor Maryland women by inducting them into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, which will be housed at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
The Maryland Women's Hall of Fame 2010 inductees are:
Claire Fraser-Liggett, Ph.D. (1955 - ) is Director of the Institute of Genome Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She also serves as faculty member in the departments of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology. A Maryland resident for over 25 years, Dr. Fraser-Liggett is a leader and pioneer in genomic medicine. She is one of the most highly cited investigators in microbiology and has been involved in the completion of more than 1,000 microbial genome sequences globally.
Anne Catharine Hoof Green (1720 - 1775) was the first American woman printer and publisher. After her husband's death, she became a successful businesswoman taking over her husband's print shop in Annapolis, Md., and publishing the Maryland Gazette.
Irene Morgan Kirkaldy (1917 - 2007) fought for American Civil Rights. In July 1944, as she was recovering from a miscarriage, Kirkaldy refused to give up her seat on a Greyhound bus to a white couple as was authorized by Jim Crow laws. Her fight against discrimination and segregation was eventually heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, which led to a landmark decision for Civil Rights and served as a catalyst for further court rulings and the Civil Rights movement as a whole. Eight years later, the Supreme Court decided in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation violated Equal Rights Protection as stated in the 14th Amendment. In 1955, Rosa Parks followed Kirkaldy's example and famously refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama.
Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps (1793 - 1884) was a pioneer for women's education serving as a teacher, writer, and publisher. She fought to close the educational gap by correcting the disparity between educational opportunities available for males and females. She published textbooks focused on educating women and served as the head of the Patapsco Female Institute in Ellicott Mills, Md., from 1841 to 1856.
Dr. Bernice R. Sandler (1927 - ) is a visionary and pioneer for gender equality in education. Widely known as the "Godmother of Title IX," Dr. Sandler has spent over 50 years advocating for women's rights. She has fought for the rights of women in the field of education. Currently, she is a Senior Scholar at the Women's Research and Education Institute in Washington, D.C., and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS (1953 - ) is a two-time breast cancer survivor and an expert and leader in the field of breast cancer treatment. She serves as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Gynecology and Obstetrics at The John Hopkins University School of Medicine, the University Distinguished Service Assistant Professor of Breast Cancer, and the Administrative Director of The Avon Foundation Breast Center at John Hopkins. Shockney is also a nationally recognized public speaker on the subject of breast cancer treatment, as well as a published author on the subject. Along with her mother, she co-founded and serves as vice president of "Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer," a nationwide non-profit organization.
More information about the current and past Maryland Women's Hall of Fame inductees can be found on our Website. |
MWHC in the News
Here is a list of other recent media coverage on the Maryland Women's Heritage Center:
Taste of the Bay
March 2010
Article about the Maryland Women's Heritage Center
Valley Times
March 2010
The Maryland Women's Journals -
February/March 2010
Southern Maryland Woman - March/April 2010
Focus On Women
January/February 2010
Visit our Website for additional media coverage about the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
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| MWHC Media Partnerships
We have established partnerships with a variety of organizations, including several media outlets covering the State of Maryland:
"WomanTalk Live"
WCBM-AM 680 - Saturdays, 6 - 7 pm
Host Ann Quasman is a huge supporter of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. Each week, "WomanTalk Live" shares women's history tidbits courtesy of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. Did you know?...
Maryland Public Television (MPT)
MPT helps to promote Maryland Women's Heritage Center events by broadcasting a monthly spot featuring Frances Hughes Glendening, President of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, as well as featuring MWHC events in their e-newsletters and Calendar of Events.
Focus on Women Magazine includes an article in each issue by Jill Moss Greenberg, Executive Director of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, on a specific theme. Articles have included: an overview of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, a feature about Pauline H. Menes, Maryland's Unsung Heroines, women in science and technology, "Generations for Justice," and the Maryland Women's History Project.
A new partnership, each issue of The Maryland Women's Journals(published in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's Counties) and Southern Maryland Woman will feature a "Women Making a Difference" column highlighting an "Unsung Heroine in Maryland" courtesy of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
For additional information about partners and supporting organizations of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, visit our Website. |
 MWHC
in the Community
Members of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center have made presentations in front of numerous organizations and groups. Here's a list of recent and future presentations:
-Teaching American History Workshop
January 9, 2010
-Montgomery County Chapter of the National Organization for Women
"Women's History Comes in Many Colors"
March 1, 2010
-Delta Kappa Gamma
March 4, 2010
-DAR of Kent County
March 11, 2010
-AAUW Harford County
March 15, 2010
-Maryland Department of Natural Resources
March 16, 2010
-AAUW Towson
March 23, 2010
-The Center Club, Baltimore
March 25, 2010
If you are interested in having someone from the Maryland Women's Heritage Center speak to your group, e-mail us or call 410-767-0675.
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 You're Important. Be Counted!
National Census Day is April 1, 2010. In mid-March, census forms will be delivered to those residing in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is important for everyone to take the time to answer the 10 short questions and mail the form back by April 1.
It is crucial for women and families, especially those in the lower income bracket, to be counted by the Census. In the past, women and families were not always fully and accurately counted by the Census leading to underfunding of critical services and infrastructure and under-representation in government.
The data collected by the Census will be used to determine a host of issues critical to the nonprofits community, including but not limited to:
Decisions about what community services to provide, and how to distribute over $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year for the next 10 years! Examples include spending on:
-Title 1 grants to educational agencies (school districts across the nation)
-Head Start programs
-Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (food grants)
-Public transportation
-Road rehabilitation and construction
-Programs for the elderly
-Emergency food and shelter
-Empowerment zone
-The drawing of Congressional, State House and State Senate district lines
-Distribution of Congressional seats to states
These are just a few examples of the ways in which Census data will be used in the next decade.
For more information, go to www.census.gov. In addition to the 2010 Census link, women and their families and the organizations that work on their behalf can get detailed socio-economic data about their local communities on The American Fact Finder and the American Community Survey links.
Maryland Women's Heritage Center Board member Juanita Tamayo Lott joined the U.S. Census Bureau in 1997 as special assistant to the Director in preparation for the 2000 Census and subsequently directed the 2010 Census Planning Unit. She was special assistant to Dr. Martha Farnesworth Riche, only the second woman director of the Census Bureau since the first census was conducted by Thomas Jefferson in 1790 (the first was Barbara Everitt Bryant for the 1990 Census).
As Juanita Tamayo Lott mentioned, "I really believe that a critical component of effective, long term community organizing and civic engagement is statistical and financial literacy for women and girls." |
 Women Saved Social Security
The New York Times included an article on March 3, 2010, about how women in the work force saved Social Security. The article, How Women Saved Social Security, was written by Casey B. Mulligan, an economics professor at the University of Chicago
Link to The New York Times article
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WOW: Women of Wonder Spotlight
By Carolyn Stegman, Ed.D.
Each edition of the newsletter will feature a Maryland Woman of Wonder. This spotlight is on Dr. Bernice Sandler, the Godmother of Title IX.
Photo: Carolyn Stegman, Ed.D.
"You come on too strong for a woman." "You are just a housewife who went back to school."
This was the gender-biased rhetoric that Sandler, who had just finished her Ph.D., heard in a 1969 faculty job interview. These offensive and derogatory words set the stage for change, big change. She knew sex discrimination was immoral, but, Sandler asked herself, was it illegal?
She was also aware of the law against discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin, but why not sex? One day, alone in a library, reading a report by the United States Commission on Civil Rights, she found a footnote buried in the back of the report. It stated that on October 13, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson had amended the Civil Rights Act to include discrimination in employment based on sex. YES, it was illegal!
Most universities did not have policies eliminating gender discrimination, yet most had federal contracts, thus putting them in direct violation of the Civil Rights Act. Sandler filed sex discrimination complaints against 250 institutions, including the University of Maryland, where this well-qualified "too strong for a woman" had been denied a job.
In 1970, under the auspices of the Women's Equity Action League (WEAL), Sandler's action soon became a national campaign to end discrimination in education. She spearheaded Congressional hearings that documented discrimination in employment and educational opportunities. This culminated in the 1972 epic passage of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in public education.
How significant was this? Monumental!
Virtually millions of girls and women in our educational system-from kindergarten to professional schools-have had their lives changed. To note just a few of the enormous consequences of Title IX:
1.) The enrollment of women in law, veterinary, medical schools and doctoral programs has risen dramatically from token, single-digit percents in 1969 to now over 50%.
2.) Women athletes are afforded the same scholarship opportunities as men and the status of women's athletics has catapulted well beyond "intramural" status.
3.) It ended almost all discriminatory policies in the hiring of women in academia. Women have been afforded equal opportunities for university promotions; they now are department chairs, deans of schools, and yes, university presidents.
4.) Title IX ended the most overt practices and policies that hindered women and girls from entering science and from engaging in a scientific career.
5.) Title IX has impacted significantly on educational equity, not just at the college level, but for students in public schools. Areas of progress include girls' expanding participation in science, mathematics, law enforcement, and technology courses, and assuring equity in guidance and counseling services.
No wonder Sandler is considered the "Godmother of Title IX." She helped to assure our daughters and their daughters a level playing field. The college campus and public school education have changed irrevocably, as have job opportunities for women.
MWHC Board Member Carolyn B. Stegman is author of the book, Women of Achievement in Maryland History. Information for this article came from Bernice Sandler, Women of Achievement in Maryland History, and a nomination by Jill Moss Greenberg, Executive Director of the MWHC, inducting Bernice Sandler to the 2010 Maryland Women's Hall of Fame.
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| Recent Heritage Happenings
*Little Black Dress Club Holiday Party
Friday, December 4, 2009
Burkshire Marriott, 10 West Burke Avenue, Towson
Hosted by the Little Black Dress Club and supported by the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, this special holiday party gave women the chance to network with each other while enjoying complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a prize raffle .
*"Between the Covers" Book Signings
Friday, December 4, 2009
Baltimore Coffee & Tea, 9 W. Aylesbury Rd., Timonium
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Baltimore Coffee & Tea, 890 Bestgate Rd., Annapolis
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center supported book signings of "Between the Covers: The Book Babes' Guide to a Woman's Reading Pleasure" with Margo Hammond, an award winning journalist and book critic, which was co-authored by Ellen Helzel.
*Empowering Women in this Economy
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Prince George's Community College, Largo Student Center, 301 Largo Road, Largo
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center supported this symposium organized by the Maryland Commission for Women. The event, which was kicked off with opening remarks from U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski and Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards, invited women to learn how to make critical decisions about finances, employment and their futures. *Women's Legislative Briefing
Sunday, January 31, 2010
University of Maryland, Shady Grove Campus, Rockville
The Montgomery County Commission for Women held the 30th Annual Women's Legislative Briefing co-sponsored by the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. This day-long event featured a distinguished group of experts, as well as County and State elected officials, discussing important legislative initiatives affecting women and families. Lilly Ledbetter was the keynote speaker and conveyed the hardships that she endured while she was discriminated against by her employer for over 10 years of service due to her being a woman, which led to the passing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
*University of Maryland Women's Basketball Game
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Comcast Center, University of Maryland, College Park
Debbie A. Yow, Director of Athletics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Board Member of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, hosted a group of board members and volunteers of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center as the Lady Terps took on Clemson University's Lady Tigers .
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Maryland Women's Heritage Center Mission
The mission of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center is to preserve the past, understand the present, and shape the future by recognizing, respecting, and transmitting the experiences and contributions of Maryland women of diverse backgrounds and regions.
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Maryland Women's Heritage Center
P.O. Box 719
Brooklandville, MD 21022-0719 Phone: 410-767-0675
E-mail: [email protected]
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We are proud to partner with the following organizations that support the creation of this historic first:
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