Women’s History: A Blind Legacy
By L’Asia Brown
"Behind every strong man, there's an even stron
ger woman, serving as his wings and onsien«e,
guiding his every endeavor with expertise, intu
ition, and wisdom"
March 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of
the annual women's history month celebration. In
1978, residents of Sonoma County, California be
gan recognizing the true movers and shakers of the
American household, v/hich women have proven
themselves to be for centuries.
As noted by Borna Brunner, women's history
was rarely a studious academic subject before
1970. "Only one or two scholars would have identi
fied themselves as women's historians, and no for
mal doctoral training on the subject was available
anywhere in the country," argues Historian Mary
Beth Norton.
Although women had taken on crucial roles in
ternationally, they still weren't being given credit
for their sacrifice. Luckily, the Women's Movement
of the Sixties caused scores of women through the
US to question their absence in the traditionally in
formation-rich academic texts.
Women's historians burst onto the scene, deter
mined to find some type of educational outlet for
the distribution of women's history. "Without ques
tion, our first inspiration was political. Aroused by
feminist charges of economic and political discrimi
nation...we turned to history to trace the origins of
I
women s second^I^s status" boasts one of the first
women's historians, Carole Smith Rosenburg.
By 1981 Senator Orrin Hatch and Representa
tive Barbara Mikulski co-sponsored a joint resolu
tion proclaiming a national women's week, and the
United States Congress gladly expanded the time
period to the full month of March in 1987.
For hundreds of years women have been dis
regarded and misplaced as figures of the world's
communities and general society. Nevertheless,
women have been responsible for many of our na
tion's greatest triumphs and accomplishments.
Internationally, women have shaped the frame
works for domestic and foreign economic markets,
highly efficient government systems, brilliant inven
tions, productive associations, impressive councils,
and honorable charities. Women have struck the
fashion industry by storm.
Women have dominated the entertainment in
dustry for decades. Women have even emerged in
politics, pushing for stronger, more effective policies
and challenging their male counterparts as promi
nent, influential figures. Women of all colors, reli
gions, nationalities, shapes and sizes are making
notable differences. Young and old, African and
European, wealthy and poverty-stricken, women
from all corners of the globe have banded together
to bring awareness and merit to a gender that has
endured severe underestimation.
There are millions of women who are helping to
shape dark paths into brighter, more opportunistic
futures for young women and men of destined gen
erations. On many occasions, society has become
so caught up in an addictive, falsified media that
we senselessly forget the women who are directly
impacting upon our own lives.
They work at our local schools, banks, churches,
and grocers. They are our mothers, sisters, pastors,
and bus drivers. They might greet us with genuine
smiles and warm southern accents as convenience
store clerks, or they may be slaving behind hot
grease and burning stoves to ensure we eat deli
cious meals. These women are wonderful. They en
courage, console, persevere, guide, and give.
They are selfless, sacrificed, phenomenal wom
en, and this month we bow down in honor to our
maidens in shining armor, and hope that one day
we can mirror their cordial achievements.
Sports: Tennis Team Underestimated
By Demarious McNeill
Sports Writer
Do you want to see something
amazing? Go to the FSU website,
navigate to athletics and click on the
tennis page. Just stare at the head
line which clearly states: "2007 CIAA
Women's Tennis Champions."
If you think this is a fluke, go to
the right and click on historical data.
We are talking about 5-time CIAA
Champions, 5 NCAA Division II Play
off Berths, 18 CIAA Women's Singles
Championships from 2002-2007, 8
CIAA Women's Doubles Champion
ships from 2002-2007, 4 nominations
to the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar
Team, 26 nominations to the CIAA All-
Conference Team from 2002-2007,
2 CIAA Player of the Year Awards,
2 CIAA Most Outstanding Player
Awards, and 3 nominations to the
CIAA All-Tournament Team. Is that
enough for you?
I wonder how many cabinets
they have to fit all of these awards.
These colossal achievements can only
be described in one word: dynasty!
However, as the women's tennis team
continues to win more matches and
more awards, there is not as much as
a whisper heard around the campus
about their successes.
Let's get to know the coach about
the remarkable drive she put behind
these all-star Broncos. Her name is
Elorine Hill and she is a 3 time Coach
of the Year recipient compiling a 100-
26 record (.793 winning percentage)
over a 6 year span from '02 to '07.
Her resume continues with a 54-3 divi
sion record and get this, a 90-1 confer
ence record. This is unheard of which
computes to a .948 and .989 winning
percentages respectively. These^ are
women that are rarely talked about
and I promise you that these achieve
ments will not go away.
Since 2002, the team has stayed
under the FSU radar, but now they
are competing for the top spot among
all FSU Sports. The season is young
and the players are hyped; the talk
of the town is TENNIS and there is no
changing that. Basketball and Foot
ball better move over because you
have company.
Dare 1 say that we have our hands
on a dynasty?
If you haven't noticed
The Voice is now a Newsmagazine. We
like the new layout, but then again we are
biased. Tell us what you think. Is a maga
zine look better than a traditional news
paper look for Fayetteville State?
Email: VoiceCopyEditor@yahoo.com
Are You A Comm. MajorP
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How to write news stories - How to take photos
How to edit - How to write for sports
How to layout a publication - How to manage advertising
March 26, 2008 VOICE Pg. 9