Women’s History Month

This month, we celebrate the victories, challenges and contributions of women — and we take stock of the work still to be done.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, as the United States grappled with Reconstruction, Black women — both formerly enslaved and free — emerged as a force in the labor movement.

Before the buzzer sounds, before the world takes notice, before history is recorded — Black women have already been there, pushing boundaries, setting records, and changing the rules of the game.

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, there are many achievements and much progress to celebrate. But make no mistake. There are forces that seek to deny women’s advancements in the workplace and wrest away hard-won victories in women’s rights to choose.

While it is important to celebrate women’s place in history and all the contributions they have made in the past, it is also important to understand the national observance has activist roots.