Women's History Month officially kicked off on March 1, making 2022 its 35th annual celebration in the United States!
Did you know that this special month began in 1978 with the celebration of Women's History Week in Santa Rosa, California? It was originally scheduled in conjunction with March 8, which continues to be known as International Women's Day. What began as a local initiative quickly spawned a national movement in cities and states across the country, and in 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed Women's History Week into law. In 1987, presidential decree expanded the celebration into Women's History Month every March.
Did you also know that each year, the National Women's History Alliance and the National Women's History Museum (which maintains a virtual "museum without walls" full of great resources!) designate a theme for Women's History Month? The 2022 theme is "Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope", a fitting tribute during these trying times.
If you'd like to learn more about the great women who have contributed to our nation and the world at large, we invite you to dive into all the free resources your Anne Arundel County Public Library has to offer.
Enjoy our curated list of related events, as well as our book lists for adults, teens and young adults, and kids!
Events This Month
- Feminist Activism: Format, Form, and Pattern – Wednesday, March 8 at 7 PM at Glen Burnie Library - Examples of contemporary and historical feminist activism will be explored. Presented by Heather Rellihan, Ph.D., Professor, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Anne Arundel Community College
- Girl Power Storytime – Saturday, March 12 at 11 AM at Riviera Beach Library - Join us for stories celebrating girl power.
- Hear Me Roar! Legacy of the Suffragettes – Wednesday, March 16 at 6:30 PM at Busch Annapolis Library -- Risking insult, abuse, imprisonment and death, women fought for the right to vote for centuries all over the world. Learn about their history and legacy. Talk about books that tell the story and do a craft that reminds us of these brave women.
- Self Defense for Women and Everyone Else – Saturday, March 19 at 2 PM at Brooklyn Park Library - Take a free lesson in Kung Fu with the Wulin Institute.
- Women on the Chesapeake - Elktonia, Carr's Beach, & Sparrow Beaches, Annapolis MD – Saturday, March 19 at 2 PM at Busch Annapolis Library - Learn about the history of major Chesapeake Bay resorts that catered exclusively to African Americans between the 1930s and the 1960s. You will also be invited to ask questions and share your own experiences.
- The Art of Women – Wednesday, March 23 at 6 PM at Odenton Library - Explore the evolution of women in art from the past to the new pioneers while exploring and using the techniques that those women used.
- Women in Space – Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 PM at Broadneck Library - Join local Solar System Ambassador, Daryl Cooke, at the Broadneck branch, as she discusses women in space, celebrating accomplishments and contributions of women in the space program.
- Author Helaine Becker Presents "Pirate Queen: A Story of Zheng Yi Sao" – Wednesday, March 30 at 4 PM at Discoveries: the Library at the Mall - An elementary age program about the most powerful pirate in history. Becker will join us virtually in the program room for a watch party & there will be a craft to follow the presentation.