History

1813 Esther Hobart McQuigg Slack Morris was born in Tioga County, NY. In the latter half of the 19th century she emerged as the architect of the female vote in Wyoming-it was the first territory in the world to give women the vote.

1816 Indiana was admitted to the Union. Famous women: Twila Tharp ( dancer and choreographer ) and Mary Beth ( actress ).

1818 Illinois entered the Union. There are a host of famous women: Carol Shields ( author ), Michelle Obama ( First Lady ), Jane Byrne ( politician ), Elizabeth Bloomer Warren ( former First Lady ), Betty Friedan ( feminist ), Helen Hokinson ( cartoonist ), Katherine Dunham ( dancer ), Dawn Harper ( Olympic champ ), Raquel Welch Tejada ( actress ), Jane Addams ( Nobel Prize for Peace ).

1819 Alabama became an American state. It is well-known for its notable women: Lurleen Wallace ( former governor of Alabama ), Coretta Scott King ( civil rights activist ), Helen Keller ( educator ), Tallulah Bankhead ( actress ), Mia Hamm ( athlete ), Condoleezza Rice ( former Secretary of State ), Rosa Parks ( civil rights activist ), Vonetta Flowers ( sportswoman ).

1848 Seneca Falls, New York City. Women’s Rights Convention under the leadership of Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

1849 New York City, NY. Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn an MD degree. She received her degree from Geneva Medical School in New York.

1867 Nebraska became an official state in America. Famous women: Mari Sandoz ( author ), Janine Turner ( actress ).

1869 Cheyenne, WY. Women’s suffrage, under the leadership of Esther McQuigg Slack Morris, was granted in Wyoming. John Campbell, Wyoming’s governor, approved the female vote-a strong victory that had seemed almost impossible a few years earlier.

1893 In Colorado females were allowed to vote.

1901 New York City,NY. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, one of the world’s first feminist activists, died. In 1869 she and Susan Anthony founded the Women Suffrage Association. Elizabeth now inspires a new generation of female leaders.

1917 Cheyenne ( WY) & Washington ( DC ). Jeannette Rankin ( Republican ) became the first woman ever elected to the House of Representatives.

1920 Washington, DC. The 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women right to vote in America. It says: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridge by the United States or by any state on account of ***. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation…”

1922 Georgia’s Rebecca Latimer Felton ( Democrat ) was the first woman in the Senate.

1924 Cheyenne, WY. Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first governor of the U.S.

1931 Washington, DC. Hattie Wyatt Caraway was one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Senate.

1972 Washington, DC. The Equal Rights Amendment ( ERA ) suffered a serious setback. It-backed by the U.S. congress-could not be ratified by 38 states ( the minimum quota ).

1975 Mexico City, Mexico. The American government sent a national delegation to the First United Nations Conference on Women.

1982 Washington, DC. The Equal Rights Amendment was not ratified.

1998 During an interview, Pat Schroeder, former congresswoman, said “I’m stunned at how slow women’s progress has been. I look at the House of Representatives, and here we are at the turn of the century and we have 55 women out of 435!”

2005 Kabul, Afghanistan. Laura Welch Bush, America’s First Lady, became a champion of women’s rights in Afghanistan, a war-torn country. She forced the international community to pay attention to the female genocide in Afghanistan. In 2005, she journeyed to Kabul for talks with President Hamid Harzai and other Afghan officials.

By: Alejandro Guevara Onofre

About the Author:

Ah… the thrill of being a black man in corporate America. Actually, it’s not all that bad, but it sure isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. There are some inherent problems, but, sure, there are some benefits too. Not everyone makes you feel as if you are the token of the organization, but, still, some things continue to need addressing. I’d like to explore those issues, good and bad, one by one.

Many black men won’t even consider a position in corporate America. Why? Well, for a lot of us, it’s just too darned hard to play the dual roles that are expected of us when we join the corporate ride. To many of our white counterparts, we’ve not earned the right to be there, and to many of our own black contemporaries, we’ve “sold out” to white America.

You know, I’m not sure that it has to be either way. I have a female friend who hails from Canada and we were recently discussing the issue of “blackness” in this country. She’s a black woman and has encountered a great deal of resistance from the black community for her desire to participate in corporate life. She has been criticized for talking, dressing, and acting… “white”.

Yet, for my friend, there’s no such thing. Remember, she’s from Canada. For her, there is no identity crisis between culture and career goals. And, you know? I have to agree with her. Success within corporate America for a black man is the same as it is for any American. We’re not selling out. We’re simply grabbing an opportunity and running with it; just like any other American would.

So, is seeking a career in corporate America a sell out? No way. Most of us play different roles at work and away from work. For a black man, maybe the difference between the roles is greater than for someone of another cultural background, but it is no less a role. I say grab the brass ring wherever you can and in whatever way you can reach it.

Don’t worry about what other people think because you will never get to where you want to go in life. Being successful is not selling out….that is being from being smart, diligent, and hard work. No one can take away your heart and determination – only if you let them. Keep striving hard and be all that you can be.

By: Jack Goode II

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