March is the month that should never be overlooked in American history as March is Women’s History month. Over the years, women have accomplished and contributed to the world in many ways mostly by empowering other women to affect changes in their respective communities.
Specifically, in the U.S., women are the prized possession, but treated like a commodity. Mothers, sisters, lawyers, aunts, doctors, teachers, alike, are the women in our lives that we sometimes take for granted. Unfortunately, this is a reality of a lot of women in the U.S.: anchoring families, institutions, and communities, while receiving minimal recognition.
Eric Whitaker, a computer information systems major from Shreveport, Louisiana, said he finds Ada Lovelace to have accomplished a deed that is dear to him, especially because of him being a CIS major. Lovelace is considered to be first to have written the world’s first computer program in 1843. “Without such accomplishment, I feel as if we never would have been introduced to computer programs,” Whitaker said. “Everything had to start from something, and it all started with her.”Whitaker said he finds it amazing that it was a woman who made this contribution.
Valencia Hawkins is a history and computer science major from Bastrop, Louisiana, who said the woman she finds to have made the biggest impact in women’s history was Marie Curie. Curie is one the world’s most known scientists, known for her discoveries of the two elements radium and polonium. She carried out the first research into the treatment of tumors with radiation. This was a huge accomplishment in the eyes of Hawkins.
“Think about it, this was the woman who invented the process for treating cancer patients,” Hawkins said. “To make it even better, she is a woman! A woman has helped the world fight a major epidemic that we face every day. I find that admirable.”
Criminal justice major Roderick Sullivan was excited to speak about his views on Women’s History Month. “There are so many women who have made huge contributions to the world,” said the Shreveport, Louisiana, native. “But if I were to pick just one, it would have to be the author of my favorite book, Harper Lee.” Lee wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning best-seller To Kill A Mockingbird. “I grew up on this book.” Sullivan said. “It was written during racial times and made a huge impact on the world back then and still even now.”
Shawnna Robinson, a psychology and sociology major from Crenshaw, California, is a strong feminist and loved talking about Women’s History Month. “Alicia Keys is most definitely one of the most influential women I have ever laid eyes on,” Robinson said. “Alicia Keys is a multitalented, award-winning artist that amazes me with her talents and also her passion.”
Since traveling to Africa and seeing firsthand the devastation that HIV/AIDS has done to the children and family, Keys decided to co-found an organization just for them. “Alicia Keys, my fellow sister by the way, co-founded the ‘Keep A Child Alive’ program that helps children and families cope with the horrible effects of HIV/AIDS.”
A music education major from Farmerville, Louisiana, Jamichael Taylord didn’t take long to state that Beyoncé is America’s most influential woman. “I’m surprised most people did not say Beyoncé as their first choice, man,” said Taylord. “Everyone in the world knows who Beyonce is, so there is no need to explain that. Beyonce is lifting up HBCUs around the world, and I find it so dope.”
March is the month where women and men can appreciate all women around the world. Like James Brown said in his song It’s a Man’s World: “But it wouldn’t be nothing, without a woman or a girl.”