2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the National Women’s History Project. The project started with a lobbying effort that resulted in President Carter issuing a Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1908 as the first National Women’s History Week. In 1987, another successful lobbying effort resulted in Congress expanding the week to the entire month of March. The theme of 2010 is ‘Writing Women Back into History,’ as the history of women often seems to be “written in invisible ink.”
National Women’s History Month is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history, as well as honor those women within our own communities and families. Locally, we are making history of our own, with the opening of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center and WPOC DJ Laurie DeYoung’s entrance into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame.
QUIZ|
All of these women of historical significance also have ties to Baltimore. Test your knowledge.
1. Which mother led a 125–mile march of child workers from the mills of Pennsylvania to President Theodore Roosevelt’s vacation home on Long Island?
ANSWER: Harriet Tubman (Born in MD in 1820), led over 300 people in their escape from slavery via the system of safe–houses known as the Underground Railroad.
2. Who printed the first copy of the Declaration of Independence that included the signers’ names?
ANSWER: 2. Mary Katherine Goddard (1738–1816), newspaper publisher, had such a strong reputation in the colonies that when Congress fled to Baltimore in 1776 they trusted her with the revolutionary task of printing their treasonous document. Goddard risked arrest by the British when she included her own name as printer. In 1775, Mary Goddard became Postmaster of the Baltimore post office.
3. Clara Barton (1821–1912) is best known for founding the American Red Cross, but what other vital role did she play during the Civil War.
ANSWER:
3. No provisions had been made for taking care of Union soldiers. Clara Barton (1821–1912) solicited donated supplies and took them directly onto battlegrounds, to get food, bandages, and medical supplies to the wounded. She also helped document the 22,000 men killed or missing in action so their families could be notified. In 1975, Clara Barton National Historic Site was established as a unit of the National Park Service at Barton’s Glen Echo, Maryland home, where she spent the last 15 years of her life.
4. Why is Rachel Carson (1907–1964) considered the mother of the environmental movement?
ANSWER: 4. Rachel Carson (1907–1964), a writer and biologist, touched off an international controversy about the environmental effects of pesticides with her 1962 book, The Silent Spring. The book became a best–seller and the foundation of modern ecological awareness. she also wrote a steady stream of articles for The Baltimore Sun.
Source: National Women’s History Project – www.nwhp.org
MD WOMEN’S HERITAGE CENTER (MWHC) OPENS IN MARCH 1st
39 West Lexington St – Downtown. www.mdwomensheritagecenter.org
The MWHC is the first state-based center and museum of its kind in the nation devoted to the history and contributions of MD women and girls throughout the state. The Center is an outgrowth of the Maryland Women’s History Project that began in 1980 as a collaborative venture between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education. A temporary home for the Center will be opening in March 2010 in Baltimore, which will include exhibits and displays, such as the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame, and allow the Center to host special events.
Former First Lady Frances Hughes Glendening is the President of the Executive Board for the Center. Former First Lady Kendel S. Ehrlich and current First Lady Katie O’Malley are also on the board, as well as other government, educational, and civic leaders throughout the state.
WPOC’s Laurie DeYoung Inducted into Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in February in Nashville
Laurie DeYoung, radio station WPOC’s morning show talent, will be only the second female inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame. Founded in 1974, the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of those individuals who have made significant contributions to country radio/music industry.
Laurie is a 24-year veteran of WPOC in Baltimore and the past winner of the CMA Large Market Personality of the Year award in 1994. The Laurie DeYoung show is one of the most tenured morning shows in both Country Radio and in Baltimore, and was awarded CMA’s Large Market Station award in 1991 and 1992. DeYoung also hosted “New Country Video” on Maryland Public Television for seven years.
Laurie began her career at WMUZ (Detroit, Mich.) in 1975, with stints at WSHN (Fremont, Mich.), WYGR, WCUZ, WLAV, WTWN and WKLQ (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and KBST (San Diego, Calif.) before arriving at WPOC in 1985.
For more information visit wpoc.com keyword: laurie or http://www.crb.org/hof/
