A group of men founded Pierce College in 1947, and when first opened, the entire student population was male.
Currently, 56 percent of 20,000 students attending this school are female. Fifty-nine percent of all community college students in the U.S. are women, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.
Times have changed.
March is National Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the feminine side of society and observe the accomplishments of a sex that has been overlooked in the past, and considered a weaker and less capable half of the globe.
Black History Month was February, and the only celebratory activity that took place at Pierce was an open mic night on one of the last days of the month. Let us not do the same to women’s history, and brush it off as an insignificant reason to observe past achievements.
Do not let this month pass us by with little regard to the largest demographic on this campus.
This semester, there are nine classes offered at Pierce pertaining to women’s history, health, psychology, English and political science. Taking one of these classes can increase your appreciation and knowledge of the role of women in society.
Yesterday, a panel of three women in leadership came to speak at Pierce. During the gathering, they honored and discussed the contributions of female leaders from the past, and present. Also, they spoke of what is in store for women authority figures of the future.
You may not notice the gradual transition from a country run prominently under male leadership into an environment where women are more often being viewed with greater respect and higher status.
Within the past century, women have stepped up to the plate in the workplace, education and politics, while still maintaining grace in motherhood and continuing to assume the role of the world’s caretakers.
National Women’s Day was first observed in 1909 and was not expanded into a month of commendation until 1987. The roots of the celebration date back to March 1857, when laboring females in New York City factories conducted a protest over poor working conditions.
By demonstrating their desire to be recognized as individuals, equal to men, this was the beginning of a revolution for all women in America. If it had not been for these strong women standing up for their rights, we might still be under the same oppression in this country that many women in the rest of the world are facing today.
Although females may still not receive all the recognition they deserve, the societal differences between men and women are fading.
Never before has a woman been seriously considered as a presidential candidate until Hillary Clinton.
Recently, Karen Bass was chosen to be speaker of the California Assembly, making her the first black woman and second female in historyto ever obtain the position.
Let’s take this time to honor our mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts and all of the women who have greatly influenced our lives.
Although females may still be paid only 75 cents to a man’s dollar, we are on a positive incline – reshaping the future for the women of this country.
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