Women In Film & Television International

Check this out! Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI) is "a global network" comprised of about 37 chapters of the organization Women In Film. With over 10,000 members, WIFTI is "dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women working in all areas of film, video, and other screen-based media." http://www.wifti.org/

Happy Holidays!

We wish our Jewish and Christian readers a Happy (though somewhat belated) Hannukkah, and a Merry Christmas! Also, an early Happy Kwanzaa to those of African heritage and culture!

Yahoo!'s Top 10 Women of 2008

Yahoo! Buzz highlighted 10 women for their 2008 Year in Review section. Check it out! http://buzz.yahoo.com/yearinreview2008/women/

Women of the Year from Glamour Magazine

Check out Glamour Magazine's 2008 Women of the Year Awards!: http://www.glamour.com/women-of-the-year.

Blog News!

Dear readers,

Seasons greetings! Our apologies for the lack of posts for the past 2 months; autumn has been incredibly busy for us.

A few blog updates: Along with our "Picture This" photo of the month piece, we will also spotlight a famous woman in history each month and post fun facts, links, and more pertaining to the historical woman throughout the month, starting in January.

And although we have discontinued our regular posting of famous birthdays and events in women's history (since our blog has been running for about a year now and hey, who wants to keep repeating themself?), we'll continue to post items about women's rights activism, women's history resources, women in politics, USWHP news, etcetera.

Best wishes,
The United States Women's History Project

The Girl Effect

Watch this fantastic video!

NOW E-cards

The National Organization for Women offers free e-cards you can send today!: http://www.now.org/sendcard/.

Sylvia Pankhurst

Today is British suffragist Sylvia Pankhurst's birthday!
http://sylviapankhurst.gn.apc.org/sylvia.htm

Interview with Charles J. Shields

Check out our exchange with Charles J. Shields, author of Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee and I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee. Many thanks to Mr. Shields for his time, patience and excellent responses! (You can visit his website at www.charlesjshields.com/.)

1. WHP: How did you first become interested in Harper Lee and writing a biography about her?
Charles J. Shields: When I began researching MOCKINGBIRD: A Portrait of Harper Lee, I was intrigued by these questions too of course, but in my mind, even more puzzling was: How can so little be known about the author of one of the most popular novels of the 20th century? And, why are the few facts available about her often inconsistent?

2. WHP: What was your research process like for your books Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee and I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee?
CJS: Harper Lee’s friends are not the type who will leave behind archives and memoirs. She never associated with literary people, except for Truman Capote. Consequently, I had to interview hundreds of persons who know or remembered her. It was almost like an oral history.

3. WHP: How did you adapt Mockingbird to your version for young adults, I Am Scout?
CJS: I changed the reading level from twelfth grade (the way the New York Times is written) to about eighth grade (People magazine). Also, I removed information that was not strictly necessary to know in order to appreciate Lee’s life. The result was that the young adult version was half the length of the adult version.

4. WHP: How would your describe Harper Lee in one word?
CJS: Consistent. Miss Lee has been remarkably consistent her entire life: she’s a nonconformist. I was surprised that the roughhousing girl of the 1930s was also the author of such a gentle book, and that she remained independent and a skeptic into middle age and beyond. Friends know her as warm, but she really doesn’t care about what anybody thinks of her.

5. WHP: How do you think Harper Lee fits into American women's history?
CJS: She is genderless and I think that’s refreshing. She belongs to a generation (she’s 84) that usually doesn’t identify with feminism, but her narrator, Scout, with the author intending it, is an example model for young women.

(Thanks for reading!)

Kenya's Street Children Blogging Project

This is rather a departure from our normal postings, but something to be aware of none the less:

Kristina Rosinsky, from the Advocacy Project, has been working in Kenya this summer with children who live on the streets. Through the project, they have learned how to use computers and cameras, and now each of the seventeen students have their own blog and Flickr account. We encourage you to check them out here:
http://advocacynet.org/blogs/index.php?blog=110&title=voices_of_kenya_s_vulnerab
le_children_an&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments
The blogs are interesting and insightful. Do take a look!

Tuesday--Women's Equality Day

Celebrate equal rights! Get ready for Women's Equality Day, which is right around the corner on Tuesday, August 26. Check out http://womenshistory.about.com/od/wed/Womens_Equality_Day_August_26.htm and http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/equalityday.php for more information.

Write Across the World Magazine

One project we did this year was an online collaboration with girls in Pakistan. The result of this email exchange was a magazine, written and edited by girls in the U.S. and Pakistan. Check it out!

http://www.freewebs.com/uswhp/writeacrosstheworld.htm

Representative Tubb Jones Dies

Representative Stephanie Tubb Jones died this evening as a result of an aneurysm. She was 58.

Tubb Jones was the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress. She was a fierce Democrat and staunchly against the Iraq war. She was an incredibly strong woman who made it one of her missions to secure rights for everyone.

She will be much missed in the world of politics, and as a person.

Our thoughts are with her family in this time of grief.

For a more detailed story, read the Associated Press' article:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g69eFoFAV_TuMuhxP8zy2W3ut_egD92MBNQO0

Blog news!

Dear readers,

Our blog has been running for almost a year now! We don't want to repeat ourselves, so we will generally not be posting about past birthdays and events in women's history from here on. (Check out the websites www.factmonster.com/birthday and http://www.nwhp.org/news/calendar.php for daily historical events and birthdays!)

We will continue to post about current events relating to women's history and equal rights advocacy and awareness with links and articles, so stay tuned!

Thanks,
The United States Women's History Project

What happened in women's history today?

Today is former Olympic swimmer Debbie Meyer's birthday. Also on today's date in 1986 "Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper retires from active duty in the US Navy. A pioneering computer scientist and inventor of the computer compiler, she was the oldest officer still on active duty at the time of her retirement," says the National Women's History Project.

A Catch-up List of August 1-7 Birthdays

A quick catch-up on happenings in women's history for this first week of August!

August 1st: Astronomer Maria Mitchell's birthday.
August 2nd: Chilean author Isabelle Allende's birthday.
August 3rd: Senior rights activist Maggie Kuhn's and entrepreneur, author and T.V. personality Martha Stewart's birthdays.
August 4th: White House correspondent Helen Thomas's birthday.
August 6th: Actress Lucille Ball's, tennis player Helen Jacob's, and lawyer and suffragist Inez Millhollan Boissevain's birthdays. Also, the "1965 Voting Rights Act outlaws the discriminatory literacy tests that had been used to prevent African Americans from voting," says the National Women's History Project.

Today is suffragist Paulina Wright Davis's and labor organizer and leader Elizabeth Gurley Flynn's birthdays.

Democratic Veepstakes

In this interesting article [http://www.now.org/news/note/073108.html] by the National Organization of Women's president, Kim Gandy takes a look at the likely candidates for Obama's running mate, and their positions on issues that affect women. Check it out!

Emily Bronte

Today is British author Emily Bronte's birthday.

The Women's History Project

New Harper Lee book for teens

Harper Lee's famous novel To Kill A Mockingbird is read by thousands across America. Yet little is known about the author herself. Check out Charles J. Shields' detailed and absorbing 2008 book I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee (an adapted version for young adults of his New York Times Bestseller Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee) with information from archives and interviews with Lee and those who knew her. You can also read I Am Scout discussion guides at http://www.charlesjshields.com/PDF/I_Am_Scout_Guide.pdf.

The Women's History Project

UN Women's Rights Resource

Check out this fabulous collection of material on women's rights, put together by the United Nations for International Women's Day!

http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/womensday/index.asp

First Ladies

Check out the National First Ladies Library at http://www.firstladies.org/!

The Women's History Project

Birthdays

July 27th was Peggy Fleming's birthday, the 28th was the birthdate of Beatrix Potter, Lucy Burns and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and today's date is the birthday of Elizabeth Hanford Dole and Nancy Landon Kassebaum.

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Charlotte Beer

Today is Charlotte Beer's birthday!
Elena

Birthdays and more

Today is both Amelia Earheart's and Bella Abzug's birthdays!

Again, our apologies for not regularly posting; we have been incredibly busy! You can catch up on any women's history tidbits from July that we neglected at http://www.nwhp.org/news/july.php.

The Women's History Project

Iris Murdoch

We apologize for the lack of posts lately! Today is European author Iris Murdoch's birthday.

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"American Women" from LOC

Check out this link about U.S. women from the Library of Congress' American Memory: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/index.html.

The Women's History Project

More Birthdays!

Today is the birthdate of both Helen Keller and Vera Wang!

The Women's History Project

Birthdays!

Today is the birthdate of Antonia Brico, the "first women to conduct a world-class symphony orchestra," and athlete Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias .

The Women's History Project

Birthdays

Today is birthday of both politician Benazir Bhutto and author Mary McCarthy.

The Women's History Project

Today in women's history

Today is dramatist Lillian Hellman's birthday. Also on today's date in 1921 "Alice Robertson ((R-Oklahoma) becomes the first woman to chair the House of Representatives," says NWHP.

The Women's History Project

NCWHS

Check out the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites, http://ncwhs.oah.org/! Their mission is to support and promote "the preservation and interpretation of sites and locales that bear witness to women's participation in American life. The Collaborative makes women's contributions to history visible so that all women's experiences and potential are fully valued."

The Women's History Project

What happened in women's history on June 18th?

On June 18th, Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 dollars in her attempt to vote in the 1872 presidential election; Sally Ride became the first American woman in space; and aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean.


The Women's History Project

An ammendment and links!

Our apologies: we neglected to mention that Barbara McClintock's birthday was the 16th, not today's date, the 17th! (The two other birthdays mentioned are correct.)

Also, check out these links: http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/, a site that has biographies of women around the world, and http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/whm/0,8805,101044,00.html, the Time For Kids Magazine site's women's history month features.

The Women's History Project

Birthdays

Happy birthday to biologist Barbara McClintock (1902-1992), first female Native American doctor Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865-1915), and tennis player Venus Williams !

The Women's History Project

Update

We apologize on the lack of posts lately! Summer activities have got us quite busy, and we've also been busy working on our website. The website now has 8 downloadable units of women's history curriculum; an event reports page, where we'll post summaries and reviews of women's history-related events that WHP members attend; information on the Equal Right's Ammendment, plus a form letter you can send to your officials; more biographies; and a page about holidays and celebrations like Women's History Month and Equal Pay Day! Check out the additions at www.freewebs.com/uswhp.

The Women's History Project

Connie Chung

On today's date in 1993, "Connie Chung becomes the second woman to co-anchor evening news, 7 years after Barbara Walters became the first in 1976," says NWHP. Today is also Marilyn Monroe's birthday.

The Women's History Project

Gale Schools' Women's History Resources

Gale Schools has lots of resources for students and educators; check out their women's history features for kids at http://www.galeschools.com/womens_history/index.htm.

The Women's History Project

Dolley Madison

Happy birthday to Dolley Madison!

The Women's History Project

One Is Greater Than None

Check out this organization called One is Greater than None, a project started by eight 14-year-old girls to raise money for kids in Africa through bracelet-making: http://www.oneisgreaterthannone.org/.

The Women's History Project

Birthdays!

We apologize for the lack of posts lately! On today's date, Lorraine Hansberry was born; she was the first women to have a play produced on Broadway with A Raisin in the Sun. Today is also the birthday of British politician Nancy Astor, who was the was the first woman to serve in the British House of Commons; and Nora Ephron, an actress and screenwriter known for her strong female roles.

The Women's History Project

Birthdays

Today is Florence Nightingale's and Katharine Hepburn's birthdays!

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Nellie Bly and Dorothy Andersen

Happy birthday to writer Nellie Bly! Also on today's date, in 1938, "Dr. Dorothy H. Andersen presents results of her medical research identifying the disease cystic fibrosis at a meeting of the American Pediatric Assn."

The Women's History Project

Audrey Hepburn

Happy birthday Audrey Hepburn! Check out http://www.audreyhepburn.com/, http://www.fabaudrey.com/, http://www.reelclassics.com/Actresses/Audrey/audrey.htm, and http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000030/.

The Women's History Project

What happened in women's history today?

Happy birthday to Israeli political leader Golda Meir, civil rights activist and educator Septima Clark (1898-1986), and writer (1912-1995) May Sarton. Also on today's date in 1974 was when Billie Jean King founded The Women's Sports Foundation, an organization which works to "advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity."

The Women's History Project

Today is Ellen Zwilich's birthday. She was the "first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music," says NWHP, in 1983. She won for her Symphony No. I (Three Movements for Orchestra), which was "commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra and premiered by that orchestra on May 5, 1982 in Alice Tully Hall, New York City," says the Pulitzer Prize website.

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Harper Lee

Happy birthday to award-winning American author Harper Lee, famous for her novel To Kill A Mocking Bird.

The Women's History Project

Leaders in Equality

Happy birthday to British author and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and civil rights advocate Coretta Scott King.

The Women's History Project

Birthdays!

Happy birthday to blues artist Gertrude "Ma" Rainey and television actress Carol Burnett!

The Women's History project

Ella Fitzgerald

Happy Birthday to Ella Fitzgerald!

The Women's History Project

Equal Pay Day

Today is Equal Pay Day, a holiday committed to raising awareness about the fact that there is a significant gap between what men are paid and what women are paid. Currently, women earns 77 cents for every dollar that men do.

What you can do to help:
Wear red to support the fair pay movement
Write to or call your senators and ask them to support the Fair Pay Restoration Act. Information on how to contact them, and background on the Act are here:
http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=10323036

Here are some great links:
http://www.pay-equity.org
http://www.wageproject.org/

Today's birthdays

Happy birthday to Charlotte Bronte and Queen Elizabeth II!

The Women's History Project

Fair Pay Restoration Act

"The Fair Pay Restoration Act (S.1843) – drafted in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, which held that employees must sue for pay discrimination within the current 180-day statute of limitations – would permit employees to sue employers for wage discrimination even if the discrimination was discovered beyond the 180-day limit," says the National Comittee on Pay Equity. The Senate will be voting early on the Fair Pay Restoration act next week, says Feminist Majority: "The House has already passed the companion bill, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to correct the recent Supreme Court decision that guts the ability of women workers to sue for wage discrimination. Celebrate Equal Pay Day, April 22nd, by contacting your senators today!"

The Women's History Project

P.S. For more information on the wage gap and equal pay, visit http://www.wageproject.org/content/gap/what.php.

Today's Birthdays!

Today, Olympic athlete Evelyn Ashford and jazz singer Bessie Smith were born.

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Digital History

Check out Digital History (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/), a website that has an online textbook; over 400 annotated documents; historical maps, music and images; links; classroom handouts; and more!

The Women's History Project

In 1977, NWHP says, "18 women in the House of Representatives form the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues ." Also, our apologies for incorrectly stating that Anne Sullivan Macy's birthday was yesterday; the date is actually the 14th. Sorry for the mistake.

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Birthdays

Today is author Eudora Welty's birthday, and it is also Anne Sullivan's birthday. (Anne was Helen Keller's educator.)

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Today's Birthdays!

Today is Dolores Huerta's and Frances Perkins' birthdays.

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Happy Birthday

Today, dancer Irene Castle and singer Billie Holiday were born.

The U.S. Women's History Project

Actress Bette Davis' birthday is today. Today is also the anniversary of when, in 1911, "80,000 people march on New York city's 5th avenue to attend the funeral of those who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in late March." (Thanks to NWHP.)

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Today's Birthdays

Today is both Maya Angelou's and Dorthea Dix's birthdays!

The Women's History Project

Birthdays

Today is English educational reformer Mary Carpenter's birthday and renowned primatologist Jane Goodall's birthday!

The Women's History Project

The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth

On today's date in 1931, "17-year old Jackie Mitchell, the first woman to play baseball in the minor leagues and be signed to an all-male team as a pitcher, pitches an exhibition game against NY Yankees and strikes out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The next day, the Baseball Commissioner voided her contract, claiming baseball was too strenuous for women. The ban was not overturned until 1992." (From The National Women's History Project.) Also, today is foreign correspondant Georgie Anne Geyer's birthday.

The Women's History Project

What happened today?

Happy birthday to actress and singer Shirley Jones! Also, today is the anniversary of the deaths of Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of France and England, Charlotte Brontë, author of Jane Eyre, another British author Enid Bagnold, and Congresswoman Bella Abzug, a noted women's rights champion.

The U.S. Women's History Project

Gifts of Speech

Gifts of Speech "is a non-profit project, sponsored by Sweet Briar College, dedicated to preserving and creating access to speeches by influential, contemporary women from around the world. The idea for the project originated in 1989 when Liz Kent, a college librarian, was asked to help a student find a speech by Gloria Steinem. Mrs. Kent assumed it would be easy to locate a speech by Ms. Steinem, and was surprised when she could not find one in any of the resources available within her small college library." This episode inspired Gifts of Speech, which began in fall of 1996 with a donation by Dr. John Jaffe, the Director of Sweet Briar College Libraries and Integrated Learning Resources. "An address list of 85 prominent women in leadership positions around the world was compiled and letters were sent to the United States, Ireland, Kenya, Canada, England and Sri Lanka. In response to those 85 letters, 74 speeches were generously returned." Since then, more speeches have been added, and you can browse under the last name of the speech maker, or chronologically. Be sure to check this website out!

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Sara Vaughan

Today is singer Sara Vaughan birthday!

The Women's History Project

Today is U.S. lawyer and associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1981–2006) Sandra Day O'Connor's birthday. She was the first woman to join Supreme Court as justice (1981).

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More birthdays!

Today is the birthdate of both Gloria Steinem and Aretha Franklin!

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Today is Matilda Joslyn Gage and Dorothy Height's birthdays!

The Women's History Project

Birthdays!

Today is the birthdate of both Fanny Farmer , most famous for her cookbooks, and Bette Nesmith Graham, the inventor of White Out. Also, The National Women's History Project says that on today's date in 1917, "Virginia Woolf establishes the Hogarth Press with her husband, Leonard Woolf."

The Women's History Project

ERA History

Today in 1972, Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. After lapsing, it was revived in 2001. For more information, go here:
http://www.freewebs.com/uswhp/equalrightsamendment.htm

Anne Hutchinson was also banished from Massachusetts in 1638. Check out our biography of this amazing woman here:
http://www.freewebs.com/uswhp/earlyamerica.htm#142142961

The Women's History Project

Today is poet Phyllis McGinley's birthday, and on today's date was when, in 1986, Debi Thomas became the first African American woman to win gold medal in a world skating competition.

The Women's History Project

Uncle Tom's Cabin

In 1852 on today's date, Harriet Beecher Stowe's book Uncle Tom's Cabin was published, which became America's first book to sell over 1 million copies! Check out a primary source document (PSD) here for more info. Thanks to www.nwhp.org for the information.

The Women's History Project

Camp Fire Girls, etc.

Yesterday's date was when, in 1910, Camp Fire Girls was established as what NWHP calls "the first American interracial, non-sectarian organization for girls." In the Camp Fire USA website's timeline, the description of this event is: "First meetings of Camp Fire Girls are held in Vermont. Dr. Gulick chooses the name 'Camp Fire' because campfires were the origin of the first communities and domestic life. Once people learned to make and control fire, they could develop and nurture a sense of community."

Today's date is the birthday of Olympic speed skater Bonnie Blair, and rap artist and actress Queen Latifah.

The Women's History Project

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

On today's date in 1933, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born.

The Women's History Project

Play Pumps

In rural Africa, clean water is hard to come by, and most people don't have plumbing installed in their homes. Instead, they are forced to walk for miles to a well and back. The grueling task of hauling water is usually held by women and girls, and sometimes this chore prevents girls from going to school.

The invention of Play Pumps is helping to solve this problem! Here's how it works: merry-go-rounds are installed, and when kids give it a push and spin around, it pumps clean water underground and into a big tank where people can access the water. The tank's sides have educational messages about healthy living, and ads to help pay for upkeep. The PlayPump not only provides water, it also provides matinence jobs and fun for the kids.

And as the website says, "Women benefit too, as they no longer risk injury from transporting heavy containers of water over great distances, and they can use the time saved to better care for their children and start small enterprises that bring additional food and income to their families."

To learn more, visit PlayPumps International, or check out National Geographic Kid's article about the program here.

Scout Bassett

National Geographic Kids has a wealth of cool articles. Check out this inspiring story about physically disabled athlete Scout Bassett, a teenager who show people that anything is possible.

The Women's History Project

What happened today in women's history?

Today is not only singer and actress Liza Minnelli's birthday, but also the date of the first Girl Scouts meeting of 18 girls, held in Savannah, Georgia by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912.

The Women's History Project

March 10

March 10 is also National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Harriet Tubman Day, and Canada's Commonwealth Day!

The Women's History Project

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to diplomat and dramatist Clare Boothe Luce (1903-87) and Lillian D. Wald (1867–1940), a social worker, and pioneer in public health services.

The Women's History Project

Graciela Olivarez

Today is the birthday of Graciela Olivarez (1928-1987), who was not only the first woman and Latina law graduate from Notre Dame Law School, but also first woman chair of Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). Check out NWHP's full bio at http://www.nwhp.org/resourcecenter/honoredlatinas.php.

The Women's History Project

One is Greater than None

Check out this wonderful project, started by 8 14-year-old girls. It's called One is Greater than None, and the girls raised money and awareness to save impoverished kids in Ghana, Africa from abuse. Visit their website at http://www.oneisgreaterthannone.org/.

The Women's History Project

International Women's Day!

Happy International Women's Day! You can check out these links:
http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/womensday1.html
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/womensday/index.asp
http://www.123greetings.com/events/womens_day/
http://www.bluemountain.com/category.pd?path=34945
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2008/s04/en/index.html
http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm

The Women's History Project

More birthdays!

Today in 1806, English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born. Pioneering women auto racer Janet Guthrie was also born on today's date in 1938.

The Women's History Project

Birthdays

Today's birthdays include Irish playwright Lady Augusta Gregory, or Isabella Augusta Persse; aviator Geraldyn (Jerrie) Cobb (she was the first woman to pass qualifying exams for astronaut training); and German revolutionary Rosa Luxembourg.

The Women's History Project

UN Gender News

Check out this article from today's UNA-USA (The United Nations Association of United States of America) E-newsletter E-news Update: http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=3936385&tr=y&auid=3435854. The article talks about the UN's plans for ending violence against women.

The Women's History Project

Miriam Makeba

Today is African singer Miriam Makeba's birthday!

The Women's History Project

Free Ways To Help

The United States Women's History Project not only focuses on history, but on advocacy. Here are some free ways you can support worthwhile causes online! First off, check out FreeRice. It's a vocabulary quiz site that donates 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program each time you get a word right. The rice is paid for by the advertisers, who have small, on-screen pop-ups at the bottom of the page. It's a way to test your knowledge and help end world hunger at the same time.

Another website is Search Kindly. As their webpage states, "Search Kindly lets you donate money for free just by using Google from this page instead of any other. All of the money that we make through advertising is donated to charities that you select. Search Kindly is a non-profit organization dedicated to the idea of micro-volunteerism and micro-philanthropy A lot of people doing a little is better than a few people doing a lot. 100% of the advertising revenue generated from this website is donated to charitable organizations that our volunteers select every month." Every search you do raises 1/3 of a cent; it sounds like a only a little bit, but it all adds up!

Also, check out these click-a-day sites that also donate their advertising money: The Hunger Site, which delivers cups of staple food to people in "over 74 countries" through Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest; The Breast Cancer Site, which provides mammograms to women in need through the National Breast Cancer Foundation; The Child Health Site, which gives various health care through charitable partners like Helen Keller International and Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation ; The Literacy Site, which gives books to kids; The Animal Rescue Site, which provides an animal food and care at a shelter; and The Rainforest Site, which focuses on land preservation with The Nature Conservancy, The Rainforest Conservation Fund, The World Parks Endowment, and Rainforest2Reef. To read more about each site's sponsors and partners, check out the "About This Site" page on each one.

The Women's History Project

Famous Women

In 1879 on today's date, Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood "became the first woman lawyer to be admitted to appear before the Supreme Court of the United States." (Thanks to http://www.factmonster.com/ for the information.) Also on the 3rd, in 1962, celebrated athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee was born. (Check out the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation's website here.)

The Women's History Project

NWHM Links!

We have a host of great links for Women's History Month!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/womens_history/index.htm
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/women/index.htm
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/womenshistory1.html
http://www.galeschools.com/womens_history/index.htm
http://www.nwhp.org/whm/index.php
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/whm
http://www.history.com/minisites/womenhist/

The Women's History Project

Women's History Month Kick-off!

Dear Readers,

March 1st kicks off 2008's National Women's History Month! Today's date was also when, in 1864, Rebecca Lee was the first black woman awarded a medical degree.

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Mary Lyon

Today is educator Mary Lyon's birthday. She found Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary in 1837.

The Women's History Project

Today in Women's History

On today's date in 1922, the US Supreme Court upheld the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which guarantees women the right to vote. Also on today's date are the birthdays of singer
Marian Anderson (1902-1993), physician Alice Hamilton (1869–1970), and actress Elizabeth Taylor (1932-).

The Women's History Project

Get ready...get set...go!

Best birthday wishes to Olympic swimmer Jenny Thompson (1973-)!

Also, get ready for March's National Women's History Month next month. The celebrations started when, in 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women created Women's History Week on the week of March 8th (which is International Women's Day). The National Women's History Project has done lots of work since; they succeded in securing a Congressional Resolution declaring a National Women's History Week in 1981, and, in 1987, NWHP "petitioned Congress to expand the national celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Women's History Month Resolution has been approved with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate." You can start planning at their link here.

The Women's History Project

Help out the AWN!

One of the U.S. Women's History Project's friends and partners, the Advocacy Project, informed us that the Afghan Women's Network office in Kabul was recently burned down by accident. Thankfully few were hurt, but they are rebuilding everything at the high cost of $50,000 plus. They're asking for donations, and have raised about $1,200 so far, which is pretty good! You can see pictures of the fire and donate online at this link: http://advocacynet.org/page/awnfire.

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Today's Women's History

The 22nd is poet Edna St. Vincent Millay's birthday (1892-1950). She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1923 for The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver: A Few Figs from Thistles: Eight Sonnets in American Poetry, 1922. A Miscellany. It is also the birthday of Sioux-Indian writer and activist Gertrude Bonnin, also known as Zitkala-Sa. (1876-1938). She founded National Council of American Indians in 1926.

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What Happened In Women's History Today?

Today is the American novelist Amy Tan's birthday. She is the author of many books including The Joy Luck Club and Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, which later became a hit cartoon series on PBS Kids. Find out more about her at http://www.amytan.net.

What happened in Women's History today?

On today's date, labor organizer and founding member of both the NAACP and the Women's Trade Union League Leonora O'Reilly (1870-1927) was born today, along with actress Katharine Cornell (1898-1974)! Also today in 1980, "Mary Decker breaks the indoor mile world record finishing race in 4:17:55." (Thanks to NWHP for that info.)

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Happy Valentine's Day!

As part of their Valentine's celebrations, the National Organization of Women is promoting "Love Your Body" Day. They say
"Whether single or in a relationship, Valentine's Day and every day is the right day to love yourself. Take Action NOW! Join the fight against negative self-image promoted by mainstream media. Take our Valentine's Day Love Your Body quiz and spread the love by forwarding it on to other women for Valentine's Day, and always - LOVE YOUR BODY!"

So…

Happy birthday to former first lady Elizabeth Truman (1885-1982) and Pauline Frederick (1906-1990), the first woman network radio and TV correspondent (1939).

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Famous Birthdays

Today is host to not only President Abe Lincoln's and anthropologist Charles Darwin's birthdays, but also writer Judy Blume and Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Also on the 12th in 1962 was when Eleanor Roosevelt became the first chair of the President's Commission on the Status of Women (thanks to NWHP).

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Today's Birthdays!

Today is both singer/musician Sheryl Crow and writer Lydia Maria Child's birthdays!

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On today's date, American international opera singer Leontyne Price (1927-) was born, as was famed actress Stella Adler (1901-1992).

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P.S. On February 9, the first convention of National Women's Political Caucus met in Houston, Texas in 1973. Also, it was feministic author Alice Walker's birthday (1944-) who was the first African American woman to win Pulitzer Prize for fiction (The Color Purple).

Girl Power!

Take a look at the Girl Power! Campaign website! It is "the national public education campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help encourage and motivate 9- to 13- year-old girls to make the most of their lives. Girls at 8 or 9 typically have very strong attitudes about their health, so Girl Power! seeks to reinforce and sustain these positive values among girls ages 9-13 by targeting health messages to the unique needs, interests, and challenges of girls."

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Today in Women's History

On today's date, in 1973, the Government Printing Office ruled that the prefix "Ms." is an acceptable, optional identifying label in government publications (Thanks to NWHP for the info.) Also, today is British archeologist Mary Douglas Leakey's birthday.

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Outlaw Belle Starr!

Today is the famous Belle Starr of the Wild West's birthday! (Today is also Pancake Day.)

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P.S. We neglected to post that the 4th was author and feminist Betty Freidan's birthday, civil rights activist Rosa Parks' birthday, and National Women in Sports Day!

Birthdays of Note!

Happy Birthday to physician Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), author Gertrude Stein (1874–1946), industry executive Linda Wachner (1946-), and award-winning science teacher J. Catherine Roberts (1953-).

P.S. Since today is the U.S.A.'s Super Bowl Sunday, take a peek at these pages about women in sports: Women in Sports at About.com and FactMonster's Women in Sports.

February 2nd

We neglected to mention on our last post that February 1st was also Hattie Wyatt Caraway's (1878-1950) birthday. She was the first women elected to the U.S. Senate in 1932, and she also was the first women to preside over the Senate in 1943. Today is model Christie Brinkley's birthday.

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P.S. February 2nd is also Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter: see the news story here.

Youth Leadership and Black History Month

February 1st marks the beginning of Youth Leadership Month and Black History Month! (Check out these links: http://www.factmonster.com/spot/bhm1.html and http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/black_history/index.htm.)

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P.S. Take a look at this website: The Political Voices of Women: Opinion and Commentary of Over 200 Women Political Bloggers .

Today's Date!

Today is Oprah Winfrey's birthday! Plus, on today's date in 1926 Violette Neatly Anderson became the first black woman to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

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The Little Mermaid on B'way

Disney's "The Little Mermaid" is now on Broadway! The show opened on January 10th, 2008. Meet the leading ladies at these links! Sierra Boggess stars as Ariel: see a fun feature here and a video interview here. Plus, meet Sherie Rene Scott, who plays the evil sea witch Ursula--check out an interview with her here or a video interview here. Find out more about the show here: http://disney.go.com/theatre/thelittlemermaid/index.html.

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Many birthdays!

Some famous women who share today as their birthday are: Norwegian novelist, essayist, and literary critic Camillia Collett; American pharmacologist Getrude Elion; French film actress Jeanne Moreau; Princess Caroline of Monaco; and (mainly T.V.) actress Tiffani Thiessen.

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On today's date in 1986, Coretta Scott King led a march through Atlanta, Georgia, to honor her late husband Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. It was celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time that year. (Thanks to NWHP and Fact Monster for the infomation.)

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Mind on the Media

Today is Rid the World of Fad Diets Day! Lots of ads for weight loss programs can be damaging to girl's self-esteem. Check out Mind On The Media, an organization that helps girls "promote healthy body image," boycott bad ads, and discuss media messages.

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International Women Leaders Global Security Summit Call to Action

Check it out! "The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands in partnership with The White House Project, the Council of Women World Leaders and the Women Leaders Intercultural Forum launched the International Women Leaders Global Security Initiative in October 2006. This initiative, which will run through June 2008, aims to bring the perspectives and voices of global women leaders to the international discourse on security." They held a summit November 15-17, 2007 in New York City, NY. The participants signed their Call to Action, which is a statment for peace, security and welfare around the world, especially focusing on women's security. It first states, "We, the participants of the International Women Leaders Global Security Summit, share a common vision for a more secure, peaceful and just world. Our different cultures and backgrounds are unified by our common sense of urgency and shared resolve to ensure that all people may live free from fear and want. We commit to supporting effective policies that increase human and state security and challenge affronts to both." You can read the full goals and sign the call here.

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Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Today's date is the anniversary of when, in 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became Africa's first elected head of state! Read all about her at these links: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187159,00.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Johnson-Sirleaf; and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4395978.stm.

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Abigail Kelley Foster

Happy Birthday to Abigail Kelley Foster (1810-87), women's rights activist and abolitionist! (It's also civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.)

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Today in History

Today in women's history:

• Hattie Caraway from Arkansas became the first elected woman senator in 1932.
• Agatha Christie, the famed British mystery novelist, died in 1976.
• The U.S. Senate voted against the passage of the suffrage bill in 1912.

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Alice Paul

Happy Birthday to suffragist Alice Paul (1885-1977)! She was joined others picketing at the White House and going on hunger strikes in prison in the turn of the century for women's right to vote. Find out more about her here at the Alice Paul Institute site and here at a PBS Kids WayBack feature.

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More birthdays!

More birthday wishes, this time to Joan Baez (born 1941), a folk singer who uses her talents for humanitarian causes and political activism; suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947), a strong fighter for woman's right to vote in the U.S.; and Imelda Staunton, British actress (born 1956).

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Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to newscaster Katie Couric (born 1957) and 20th Century African-American author Zora Neale Hurston ! Also on today's date in 1896, candy reatailer Fanny Farmer's first cookbook was published.

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Digital History

Check out the website Digital History (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/). It has tons of online exhibits primary source documents, pictures, audio and video clips, etc. about women's history and beyond.

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Technology and Communication 2

Here are more links, especially for kids:

• Got a computer question? Consult Webmonkey, a site that explains how to build a webpage and other projects. Visit http://www.webmonkey.com/ or the kids version at http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/kids/planning/safety.html.
• Another kids tech site is the for kids, by kids Lissa Explains It All. As she says in her profile, Lissa started the website when she was a girl, and is continuing her webpage in college. She offers an HTML tutorial, tech information and goodies like e-cards and clipart. Visit http://www.lissaexplains.com/.
• Kids Click! isn't just about technology, but it's a handy kid's search page with lots of good, selected sites! A site "created by a group of librarians at the Ramapo Catskill Library System, as a logical step in addressing concerns about the role of public libraries in guiding their young users to valuable and age appropriate web sites," it is currently maintained by the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University. Visit http://www.kidsclick.org/.

--The Women's History Project

Technology and Communication Resources

Since we are creating a website and such, U.S. WHP is involved and interested in technology and communication. Here, we'll show you some of our favorite (and handy) links and resources:

• Skype is a form of computer communication that lets you call people (through a computer mike and headset) or chat with them (as you would in IM). Best of all, you can download the program for free! Visit http://skype.com/.
• "We know that most people, like us, would love to be able to give limitless amounts of money to those in need, but who has a limitless amount of money?" Search Kindly is where you can participate in charity everytime you search the web; the website has a Google search engine and donates all of it's advertising money to charity! "The whole point of Search Kindly is to take something that you'd be doing anyway, like surfing the Internet, and turn it into a really meaningful action," as their blurb states. Visit http://www.searchkindly.org/.

Stay tuned for more links!

--The Women's History Project

Lucretia Mott

January 3rd is Lucretia Mott's birthday (1793-1880). Lucretia was a Quaker women's rights and civil rights activist. Click here and scroll down to see our bio of her or check out another bio from the Women's Rights National Historic Park.

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For more information, see our website at www.freewebs.com/uswhp.