Women‘s History Month, instituted by former President Jimmy Carter, is widely known across America as a month to recognize women and the vital roles they have played throughout history. 

It began as a local celebration created by five women right in our own backyard, in Santa Rosa, California. The leader of these five influential women, Molly Murphy MacGregor, was a 24-year-old high school history teacher when she started the movement. 

MacGregor looked back on the last few decades since founding the National Women’s History Project, “It was a very different world, in the late 1970s, it seemed like the history of women in the United States had been written in invisible ink,” she told GMA during an interview last year in March of 2021.

With Sonoma State primarily being a female dominated campus, there were a plethora of events in the month of March that showcase talented women in all fields of life. Students were able to visit these events in person, or if provided, over Zoom. 

As early as Feb. 28, the events for Women’s History Month began at SSU, calling it Women’s HERstory Month, as many of the events showcase talented female leaders, speakers and activists as they talk about their individual unique stories. Author Elizabeth Quiroz, comedian Sasheer Zamata, and former Division I basketball player Tykera Carter have been just a few of the many women Sonoma State had the pleasure of welcoming to campus to share their stories. 

Some other events that took place over the month of March include a salary negotiation workshop, lesbian culture and womxn’s music, everybody: a body positive event and showings of films made by and for women.

Natalia Rose, an Early Childhood major, discussed the importance of recognizing the women in our everyday life. “Women are powerful. Being a daughter to an incredible woman, I see how much she does for me and the sacrifices she makes on a daily basis, while still working hard to provide for our family,” said Rose. “I have nothing but amazement for how driven she is and how much she does that may go unnoticed by others”. 

With Women’s History Month coming to a close at the end of this month, there are still a couple events on campus students are able to attend. 

On Tuesday, the HUB Cultural Center will be honoring local Latina leaders in our community. This event will take place from 5-6:30pm on the second floor of the Student Center. Panelists include Alma Bowen, Founder and Executive Director of Nuestra Comunidad, Mercedes Hernandez, creator of SoCo Market, and Alma Magallon, a leader in the Latino business community. 

To conclude Women’s History Month, the final event students are able to attend will be held on Wednesday, in the Alexander Valley Room of the Student Center from 11 a.m.-noon. This event is called, ‘“I Don’t Want To Be The Only One”: BIPoC Women Faculty On Being The Change They Want To See’. The focus will be on some of Sonoma State’s female faculty who will share their stories of navigating their way through life as a BIPoC faculty, educators, researchers, and leaders. Their hope is to guide students of the same background to imagine themselves as leaders too. 

More information about all of these events are available on Sonoma State’s website. To read more about the past and few upcoming events, visit http://diversity.sonoma.edu/2022-womens-herstory-month.