MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
This March, join The Black Women’s Agenda, Inc. as we celebrate Women’s History Month. Congress first declared March as Women’s History month in 1987. Since then, every year there’s a Presidential Proclamation to announce the month and to honor women who have made a notable impact in history.
According to the National Women’s History Alliance, “In February 1980, President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. In the same year, Representative Barbara Mikulski, who at the time was in the House of Representatives, and Senator Orrin Hatch co-sponsored a Congressional Resolution for National Women’s History Week 1981. This co-sponsorship demonstrated the wide-ranging political support for recognizing, honoring, and celebrating the achievements of American women.
As word spread rapidly across the nation, state departments of education encouraged celebrations of National Women’s History Week as an effective means to achieving equity goals within classrooms. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, Alaska, and other states developed and distributed curriculum materials for all of their public schools. Organizations sponsored essay contests and other special programs in their local areas. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities were celebrating National Women’s History Week, supported and encouraged by resolutions from governors, city councils, school boards, and the U.S. Congress.
Each year, the dates of National Women’s History Week, (the week of March 8th) changed and every year a new lobbying effort was needed. Yearly, a national effort that included thousands of individuals and hundreds of educational and women’s organizations was spearheaded by the National Women’s History Alliance.
By 1986, 14 states had already declared March as Women’s History Month. This momentum and state-by-state action was used as the rational to lobby Congress to declare the entire month of March 1987 as National Women’s History Month. In 1987, Congress declared March as National Women’s History Month in perpetuity. A special Presidential Proclamation is issued every year which honors the extraordinary achievements of American women.” For more information https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/
OTHER NEWS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLLEGE STUDENTS, CORONAVIRUS, AND THE CENSUS
The 2020 Census counts everyone in the United States, including college students. College students will be counted where they usually live, even if they are temporarily staying elsewhere while their school is closed because of COVID-19.
Students who normally live at school should be counted at school, even if they are temporarily living somewhere else because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
February Heart Health Month
This February and every month, please take these important tips to heart:
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America
• Heart disease is the # 1 killer of Black women
• Protect your heart by leading a healthy lifestyle, including engaging in regular
physical activity and eating a healthy diet (10 minutes of exercise helps your
heart)…
How Does The Census Affect My Community
An accurate census is critical because it is used to determine the distribution of federal dollars and political representation for the next ten years. For Example: New Mexico receives over $7.8 billion each year through census- informed federal programs which benefit the entire community by providing per capita funds for health care for programs like Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), National School Lunch Program, highways, education grants, housing vouchers, and more.
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