To Those Who Remain Unknown…
Our world has been ever-changing from the beginning: constantly evolving and developing, and as a result, many people have left their mark on it. Hundreds of millions of people from all around the world have shaped the way we interact with those around us. However, only some of those people are given credit for their contributions. They have been left in the shadows, as others were put in the limelight. They were forgotten, or never even acknowledged, to begin with. As years, decades, and even centuries have passed, they have been set aside, and their works have been accredited to others, or simply ignored. A large majority of these bygone philanthropists were women or from minorities. They were denied the opportunities to present or gain recognition for their work during their time, so they should be given an opportunity now. To be given respect for their contributions, and acknowledgment for what they have achieved.
One of the forgotten women who had greatly impacted the education of American children was Mary McLeod Bethune. She was an African-American woman who served as an advisor to FDR and became one of the most prominent government officials and black educators of the twentieth century. She was also responsible for setting the educational standards of today’s black colleges and advocated for African-Americans within the government. Bethune started a boarding school called the Daytona Beach Literary and Industrial School for Training Negro Girls, which eventually became a college. This college was then merged with Cookman Institute, an all-male school. The joining of these two institutions resulted in the creation of Bethune-Cookman College in 1929. Bethune passionately championed the causes of gender and racial equality, as such, she established many foundations that fought for and furthered these aims for the future. Mary McLeod Bethune was also the highest-ranking African American woman in the United States government after FDR placed her as director of the Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration, which she ran until 1944. As a strong advocate for women’s rights and equality, she instituted the Women’s Army Corps and made sure that it was integrated racially. This woman is one of the lesser-known figures who fought for the rights of African Americans and women. She never backed down, and always fought for what was right, no matter how hard it must have been for her. She paved the way for generations of women and minorities to take part in government and didn’t compromise on her principles for even a moment. She is an icon; one who is not as well known as others. So, we honor her for her groundbreaking work during her time.
Yet another woman who has not gotten the due credit she deserves is Frances Perkins. You probably haven’t heard of her, but she was the first woman to serve on the US Cabinet. While FDR was in office, she was a part of his cabinet as the Secretary of Labor. During her time serving on the cabinet, Perkins used her connections and resources to start the minimum wage and put social security into action. Along with these, she worked towards ending child labor and made it easier for women to enter into politics. This woman lobbied for improved working conditions and higher wages, particularly for women and children. While doing all of this, she also took part in drafting the Social Security Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She strengthened the Bureau of Labor Statistics and worked on bettering the Department of Labor. From the moment that she entered government, Perkins was a force of nature. She took a blind leap into the world of politics and made the lives of everyday Americans so much better and easier. She didn’t take “no” for an answer and always moved towards creating a better future for America’s children.
Finally, another woman who carried out what was thought to be a “man’s job”, was Martha Gellhorn. Gellhorn was an acclaimed journalist, who traveled all over the world. She lived her life fearlessly, as she moved from country to country; taking photographs and writing articles, as well as novels. Martha Gellhorn was born in 1908, in St. Louis, and moved to Paris when she turned twenty-one. There, she became a journalist, reporting for the Federal Emergency Relief Association about the textile workers and how they lived. Following this time, she eventually became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, who invited her to the White House. This gave Gellhorn a way to bring light to important issues that weren’t getting enough attention at the time. Following this, she went to Spain to cover the civil war in 1937. Later on, reported on D Day by donning a nurse’s uniform and stowing away on a ship, to get to the beaches. The chronicles of her times witnessing the war gave the people insight that no other journalist was willing to provide The German POWs, stretcher-bearers, the mothers of Vietnamese soldiers are just a few examples. As one of the first female war correspondents of her time, she sent shockwaves through the male-dominated world of journalism. She was one-of-a-kind, an original, someone who did what had to be done and didn’t stop to think about the dangers she could face. She met every situation she was put in, head-on, and tried to learn and write all she could about what she saw. Martha Gellhorn cleared a path for so many female journalists to come, and should never be forgotten.
Moving into the year 2021, one that is filled with both hope and fear in equal measure, it is vital that we take a moment to look at the past. And while there have been rather catastrophic moments (some of which have occurred in our lifetimes), we can see that there have also been triumphant ones, ones that help us be a little prouder of the world we live in today. These moments are guided by extraordinary people, people who helped keep the world from completely falling apart.
These women are, of course, only a few of the millions who have changed the narrative. While we will never know every single woman to change the way women were perceived, they will nevertheless have impacted the generations of women to come. Each of them, whether their role was small or big, made their mark. So, they should be honored, and never forgotten. Because they have made our present possible.
Happy New Year.
