Rasheed Thomas
Staff Writer

Amendment XV Section 1.  of the United States constitution reads: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

The above is the second amendment of the reconstruction amendments. The amendments enacted after the civil war and the freeing of the slaves. Its importance is noticed only when one contrast it with the reality of the times of that era.

Those who were enslaved were treated as property for hundreds of years before they were liberated. A short while after they were liberated, they gained the right to vote.

Ironically, slaves received the right to vote before woman, whom had played a major role in the building and construction of the United States. This reality shows how serious the struggle for woman’s equality was and continues to be. Even in the 21st century there’s still oppression and discrimination against women in American society.

As this woman’s history month comes and goes, it becomes imperative that people understand and respect women, the women’s movement, and the great things woman have done for American culture.

While interviewing students on campus you would be shocked to learn that some student, female students were not even aware that woman’s history month even existed! Student Portia Stacy, acknowledged that fact “I didn’t even know there was a woman’s history month… but it’s definitely a good way to acknowledge women’s achievements”. Her friend Shale Harris went on to state, “It’s also a good time to reflect on all the major leaps by woman and celebrate the women’s rights movement.”

THE FEATS OF WOMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

Woman of all colors and ethnicities have been monumental in laying down the path for greater woman to travel. Without the woman who stood up and broke down barriers for today’s woman then women would not be where they are today. It is this woman we celebrate, whose struggle, whose life, and whose tenacity and has shaped the world.

Flossie Wong- Staal was one of the world’s foremost authorities in the field of virology. She deciphered the structure of the HIV virus as the cause of aids and was the first to clone and complete the genetic mapping of HIV making it possible to develop the HIV test.

We celebrate giants like Hattie Elizabeth Alexander who developed the first effective remedies for haemophilus influenza, cutting the mortality rate from nearly 100% to 25%. She is also the first woman to be elected president of the American pediatric society.

Another great woman Harriet Tubman escaped slavery and then returned to help other slaves escape by way of the Underground Railroad. It is because of woman with this kind of heart that we celebrate woman’s history month.

Last and definitely not least is another amazing young woman. Malala yousufzai, a Pakistani teenage activist who was shot in the head by the Taliban for wanting to empower woman and stand up for her rights. Her writings earned her Pakistan’s first national peace prize and have encouraged young people to take a stand against terrorism, because she wanted education for her and other young girls.

Students on campus expressed a need for woman’s history month a group of students I encountered in the lunch room were interested and one young man, Darius Byrd said, “it’s good to see woman be empowered and recognized”.  Hanna Wattnem stated that she “really appreciate[s] that people recognize and celebrates women’s history month!”