In 1987, Congress declared March to be Women’s History Month, dedicated to highlighting the contributions of women to history and contemporary society. During the month of March we have the opportunity to focus on the importance of women in society, their influence, and issues that affect them.
Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths for women in the United States and year after year members of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® family appreciate this vital statistic as demonstrated in their display of unprecedented determination to bring an end to this disease.
Ninety percent of Komen 3-Day walkers have watched a loved one battle breast cancer and the vast majority of those cancer warriors were women—women who made significant contributions to their families, their professions, their churches and their communities. Every one of these women made history and changed the trajectory of lives forgotten and tossed, but their names will never make it onto the pages of a history book and their contributions will never be featured on the evening news. Yet these are women who should be celebrated, honored and acknowledged this month by the people who appreciate their worth and recognize their selfless giving.
The purpose of Women’s History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women’s history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it’s impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions.
I celebrate the life and legacy of an unforgettable woman who certainly made history during her 30 plus years of employment with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: my mother, Yvonne Springs. My mother died on February 16, 2009, but in her lifetime she had a successful career and a forty-one year marriage to my dad, raised four socially responsible children, and was immensely involved in her church and community. She enjoyed being a woman, and taught me how to enjoy being the woman I am becoming.
Celebrate the women in your life and give a special shout out to our vast sisterhood of walkers, crew and volunteers!
