National Women's History Month

Did you know that March is National Women's History Month? In 1978, noticing a huge gap in K-12 curriculum, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a "Women's History Week." In 1987, a Congressional resolution expanded the week to a full month. The governing body that oversees National Women's History Month, the National Women's History Project, was founded in 1980 and has forged a continuing mission to further study of multicultural women'sactive role in creating history. The NWHP is known "as the only clearinghouse providing information and training in multicultural women’s history for educators, community organizations, and parents" (from the NWHP website--read more about the National Women's History Project here). This year's theme is "Our HISTORY is Our Strength."

In honor of National Women's History Month, the Barbara Jordan Archives has assembled a special exhibit at TSU's Robert J. Terry Library that highlights Barbara Jordan's special awards and citations that are part of the Jordan Papers. The collection includes plaques, certificates, medals, city keys, signed photographs, and proclamations awarded to Jordan from the national, state and local levels.

In accordance with the National Women's History Month theme, Jordan's history lies in the fact that she was a strong woman: a strong speaker; a strong role model; a strong politician; a strong educator; and a strong leader. Jordan's awards number in the hundreds, and they stand as a testament to the high esteem in which Houston, the state of Texas and, indeed, America held Barbara Jordan, the girl from the Fifth Ward who made a difference. We are delighted to put some of Jordan’s treasures on display as an opportunity for our students, patrons and friends to learn more about Jordan.