On Our Own: Women’s History Month 2006

Betty Friedan at the March for Women's Lives.

Photo by my mom.

I tend to be bad at remembering holidays and history months. But this year Women’s History Month seems different. For the first time we’re celebrating Betty Friedan, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King without them being here.

When I was learning about these feminist icons in school, it was always so cool that they were still alive. I’d look at old b&w photos and read stories of what they did in the “olden days,” but know that they were still around. It helped me connect with the times they lived in and the work they did. Knowing that they were still around just made the past seem a little closer.

Don’t get me wrong, I look up to historical feminist icons that have passed away too. Ida B. Wells has been an idol since elementary school. It started when we had to pick a historical figure to write a report on. I picked Ida B. Wells off the list because my oldest sister’s name is Ida. So, naturally, anyone that shared her name must be cool. Then when I found out she was an activist for racial justice and a suffragist—I was in love!

But still, there’s something special about learning about someone’s amazing work and then finding out she’s still alive. How do you think it’ll be different for kids who are learning about these women in the future?

I talked with my Grandmother about how Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique impacted her when she read it as a young mother in the 1950s. How did the women in your family view feminist leaders of their times?

What current activists do you think will become feminist icons in the future?