Women's History Month

It took us a while to realize that women had something to offer in our history. 1978 in Sonoma, CA was the first celebration of Women's History Week. Then Congress expanded it to Women's History Month in 1987 after the women's movement of the 60's caused women everywhere to question their invisibility in history books.

All too often, women are invisible--we only miss them when we miss what they do--no one left to do my laundry, to clean the kitchen, to pick up the clothes at the cleaners, etc. To think that there were once women in history who actually did something worth noting was once almost unthinkable. The only women I remember mentioned in history class ( please realize the memory is not what it used to be) was a Revolutionary War spy and the wives of the Presidents.

I am thinking today of a very brave musician who broke the color barrier in opera. Marian Anderson
grew up poor, but with a heavenly voice. Her community actually took up contributions to help pay for her lessons. But she was African- American in a time when the black musicians were doing only jazz and blues. She decided that if she were going to someday succeed in opera (Note the optimism), she would have to learn many languages, so she went to Europe. She started singing in the great houses over there and became a European sensation. Her agent began to think she could sing anywhere. With Howard College, he tried to book her into Constitution Hall in D. C. which was run by the DAR. Sorry--they had no date available, and anyway, they booked only white singers.

Angered by the refusal, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the organization, newspapers took up the cry, and she was eventually set to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. 75,000 people of all colors and faiths came to hear her.

Sixteen years later (perseverence) this woman who now sang in 8 languages opened at the Metropolitan Opera at the age of 57.

There is a beautiful children's book which tells her story. Add it to your collection: When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan , illustrated by Brian Sel znick .