Luncheon an eye-opener for women’s history

MAT-SU — It is now April, which means the month of March has passed, and with it so has the majority of winter’s break-up season — the final school break before Summer — and a number of celebrations, including St. Patrick’s Day, Marti Gras and Women’s History Month.

The National Women’s History Project has been the consistent spearhead of resource information, celebration themes for Women’s History Month. This year’s was “Our History, Our Strength.” Locally, there has been an annual luncheon put on by Alaska Family Services to open discussion, remembrance and celebration of women’s history, and to honor women of the Valley who are making a difference.

Following the theme, this year’s speaker for the luncheon, Channel 2 News reporter Rhonda McBride, spoke about local women in the largest history making group — politics — and their reflection on history and ways to approach it.

“History is always being written and observed,” she said. “What we hear now at this time, will not be viewed the same in maybe 50 years.”

In 1979, a lovely, bright woman by the name of Molly Murphy MacGregor, as a member of the National Women’s History Project, was invited to The Women’s History Institute at Sarah Lawrence College to join historians and national leaders of organizations for women to discuss women’s history in America and how they could have it better recognized by the nation.

The review of a women’s history week, which had been put on in Sonoma, was voted to be celebrated and passed along to President Carter, who signed the first Presidential Proclamation designating the Week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week, surrounding International Women’s Day. Many states, such as Maryland, Washington, New York, Oregon and Alaska, became so excited for the event they organized curriculum for their schools so that everyone could take part in recognizing, honoring and remembering the achievements of women.

In six years following the declaration of women’s history week, 14 states had dedicated the entire month for women’s history, and with enough lobbying and momentum across the nation word reached Congress. The month of March was officially tagged for the celebration of women’s history.

What McBride said is true. Those writing the textbook for Alaska history who are compiling news stories from the Miller-Murkowski-McAdams race, or the absurdity of a large part of news regarding Sarah Palin during the 2008 presidential election, will perhaps not be as amused as we were and will maybe just be confused, asking why we observed some behaviors in abhorrence, while other moments slipped by with a brief mention. In history, point of view is a large part of retelling. Textbooks are often written to be grey and only made up of some bare details so that whoever is reading can make up their own minds. Women’s history, however, has typically been straightforward and told in a form of celebration and remark — “look at this woman, look at the change she made!”

Within America’s vast history, many groups have had a part in making change: Revolutionaries, Confederates, civil rights activists and women in many different fields. Women’s History Month is what celebrates achievements, from Marie Curie to accomplished Girl Scouts and women from the community. In your town — and even your neighborhood — it is certain there are remarkable women doing remarkable things, whether supporting and nurturing her children or inventing a hovercraft in her garage. Women’s History Month is in place to celebrate what has been, and the remainder of the year is a celebration of what will come.

Dylan Gette-King is a junior at Twindly Bridge Charter School.