WHEREAS, Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society, and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987; and
WHEREAS, Women’s History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. From Sojourner Truth to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Women’s History Month grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history, and society organized by the school district of Sonoma, California, in 1978; and
WHEREAS, In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians-led by the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women's History Alliance)-successfully lobbied for national recognition. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. Congress followed suit the next year, passing a resolution establishing a national celebration. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March; and
WHEREAS, Since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields; and
WHEREAS, The theme for Women's History Month in 2021 captures the spirit of these challenging times. Since many of the women's suffrage centennial celebrations originally scheduled for 2020 were curtailed, the National Women's History Alliance is extending the annual theme for 2021 to "Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced”; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has established itself as a center for intellectual, social, and cultural life through the countless efforts of women like Marion Anderson, Margaret Mead, Betsy Ross, Sonia Sanchez, C. Delores Tucker, and Madame C.J. Walker; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council does hereby recognize and support the accomplishments of women and girls throughout history on the occasion of Women’s History Month.
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