A Month to Make History

If July makes you feel like doing something significant, lean into it! Not only is July 2021 providing a vastly different atmosphere than July of 2020 as Covid cases continue to decline, but the month is also historically important for women. While many refer to the Dog Days of Summer (starting July 2), as lethargic and humid, history proves otherwise. Here is a short list of important events that happened in July:

• The country’s first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848
• Suffragists crashed the Centennial Celebration in Independence Hall in 1876 to present the Vice President with the “Declaration of the Rights of Women” written by Matilda Joselyn Gage
• In 1917, 16 women from the National Women’s Party were arrested while picketing the White House demanding universal women’s suffrage; they were charged with obstructing traffic
• The first class of Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) launched at Fort Des Moines, IA in 1942
• lthea Gibson became the first African American woman player to win a Wimbledon title in women’s tennis singles in 1957
• President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in July of 1964, and Title VII prohibited sex discrimination in employment
• The Susan B. Anthony dollar was released in 1979
• President Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor as the first woman Supreme Court Justice in 1981
• In 1984, Representative Geraldine Ferraro (D-New York) was chosen as the first female to run for Vice President of the United States on the Democratic Party ticket with Walter Mondale

Of course, the Dog Days of Summer also allow for days at the beach, picnics in the park, and lounging by the pool. Self-care and relaxation are as essential to women’s health as shaping the trajectory of our history. But as we enjoy the warm weather and some vaccinated hugs, I also celebrate the women and men who did so much for the cause of gender equality, making July a particularly important month for all of us.