News

March marks Women’s History Month, a time dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements in history. As Montessori children, parents, educators, and advocates, it is important to instill an appreciation for those in our lives and in history who have overcome or are currently battling gender gap blockades, paving the way for future generations.

Women’s History Month, known originally as “Women’s History Week", was first petitioned in 1981. It was not until 1987 that the National Women’s History Project requested it be changed from one week to a month. Over the next six years, and officially in 1995, Congress issued and requested, under the authorization of the President, that March of each year would be deemed Women’s History Month. 

Here are five women who accomplished great feats in American history:

• Susan La Flesche Picotte - As a member of the Omaha tribe, Picotte is widely accepted as the first Indigenous person and the first Indigenous woman to earn a medical degree. She worked not only for the health of her people but also as a social reformer advocating for public health and legal allotment of land to the Omaha tribe. 
• Rita Moreno - Moreno is a Puerto Rican actress with a career spanning eight decades and is best known for her role as Anita in West Side Story (1961). She is one of the last remaining stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood and was the first Latina to receive EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards). 
• Linda Martell - Martell became the first commercially successful Black female country artist and was the first Black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in 1969. She has made a lasting influence on the country music world, even to this day. In March of 2024, Martell was even featured on two tracks of Beyoncé’s recent country record, Cowboy Carter.  
• Chloé Zhao - Zhao is a Chinese-born filmmaker, primarily known for her directorial work on Nomadland (2020), a film that received numerous awards. In 2021, Zhao became the first woman of color to earn an Academy Award for Best Director. 
• Ibtihaj Muhammad - Muhammad competed in sabre fencing on Team USA in the 2016 Summer Olympics. She became the first hijabi woman to compete in the Olympics, the first American Muslim woman to win an Olympic medal, and the first Black woman to win an Olympic medal for sabre fencing.