eNewsletter
Since 1987, March has officially been recognized as Women’s History Month in which we celebrate the contributions of women in American history. From mathematicians like Katherine Johnson to athletes like Babe Didrikson Zaharius, women have broken barriers and left their mark on our society today.
Women’s History Month is a great time to reflect on the journey towards true gender equality in our society, and how other factors like racism and bias can make that journey more difficult for others.
In 1920, the 19th Amendment made it illegal to deny any citizen the right to vote based on their sex. While this should have guaranteed all women the right to vote, there were no legal protections against discrimination by race. It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting, that women of color were guaranteed the right to vote. This was less than 60 years ago.
There are stories of tragedy and perseverance from women across our history, but female voices are not always reflected in the telling of these stories. Research has shown that female authors are underrepresented in college course readings and they are underrepresented in the publishing industry as a whole.
As you consider your next reading this month, consider picking up a book written by a female author. You can check out some of these books below from the Yonkers Public Library, which range from biographies, nonfiction and fiction books written by and about women.
If there is a young reader in your life, be sure to check out this great blog post about new children’s books for Women’s History Month that you can get from YPL.
Alison Robles is a part-time page at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, history and science fiction. A Yonkers native, she graduated from Iona University in 2020 with a dual-degree in Marketing and Public Relations.