Women's History Archives

Sept. 26, 1909: International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union Strike

Local 25 of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) declared a strike.

Sept. 27, 1962: Silent Spring Published

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published.

Aug. 1, 1952: Sarah Keys Refuses to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus

Sarah Keys refused to give up her seat on a state-to-state charter bus, prompting the landmark court case, Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company.

The Women Who Caught the Babies: A Story of African American Midwives

Picture book. By Eloise Greenfield. Illustrated by Daniel Minter. 2019. 32 pages.
This unique picture book begins with historical background on the work of midwives and then switches to poetry to tell vignettes from lives of midwives during slavery, emancipation, and today.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks: Young Readers Edition

Book — Non-fiction. By Jeanne Theoharis and Brandy Colbert. 2021.
This biography of Rosa Parks accessibly examines her six decades of activism, challenging young readers’ perceptions of her as an accidental actor in the Civil Rights Movement.

Sept. 29, 1951: “A Call to Negro Women” Sojourners for Truth and Justice

A decade before the March on Washington, a group of Black women known as the Sojourners for Truth and Justice gathered in Washington D.C. to advocate for their rights.

Mighty Justice (Young Readers’ Edition): The Untold Story of Civil Rights Trailblazer Dovey Johnson Roundtree

Book — Non-fiction. By Katie McCabe and Jabari Asim. 2020. 208 pages.
A young readers' adaptation of Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights, the memoir of activist lawyer Dovey Johnson Roundtree.

Rethinking the U.S. Constitutional Convention: A Role Play

Teaching Activity. By Bob Peterson. Rethinking Schools. 14 pages.
A role play on the Constitutional Convention which brings to life the social forces active during and immediately following the American Revolution with focus on two key topics: suffrage and slavery. An elementary school adaptation of the Constitution Role Play by Bill Bigelow. Roles available in Spanish.

Teaching Activity by Bob Peterson

Salt of the Earth

Film. By Herbert Biberman. 1954. 94 minutes.
This classic, powerful film about a miners strike in New Mexico can be used to teach about the intersection of class, race, national origin, and gender.

Cindy Sheehan: “It’s Time the Antiwar Choir Started Singing”

Film clip. Voices of a People's History.
Dramatic reading of Cindy Sheehan's speech "It's Time the Antiwar Choir Started Singing" (2005) is read by Marisa Tomei and Staceyann Chin.

Anne Braden: Southern Patriot

Film. Produced by Anne Lewis. 2012. 75 minutes.
Documentary about Southern activist Anne Braden.

Rosa Parks Highlander School | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 1, 1955: Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

Shirley Chisholm | Zinn Education Project

Nov. 30, 1924: Shirley Chisholm Born

Born on this day, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress

Wangari Maathai - Cancel the Debt Protest | Zinn Education Project

Oct. 8, 2004: Wangari Maathai Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the environment and founded the Greenbelt Movement.

The Rebellious Lives of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Teaching Activity. By Bill Bigelow.
In this mixer lesson, students learn about Rosa Parks' many decades of activism by taking on roles from various times in her life. In this way, students learn about her radicalism before, during, and long after the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico, illustrated book cover

Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico: Portraits of Soldaderas, Saints, and Subversives

Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Sosa, Clark, and Speed. 2020. 352 pages.
This anthology examines female role models and subversives who stood up for their visions and ideals in Mexico and Texas.

Teaching Activity by Edited by Kathy Sosa, Ellen Riojas Clark, and Jennifer Speed

person taking photograph of photographer, book cover

Chicana Movidas: New Narratives of Activism and Feminism in the Movement Era

Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Cotera, Espinoza, and Blackwell. 2018. 488 pages.
This anthology focuses on Chicana organizing, activism, and leadership and the intellectual and political legacies of early Chicana feminism.

Teaching Activity by Edited by María Eugenia Cotera, Dionne Espinoza, and Maylei Blackwell

Teaching Gloria E. Anzaldúa: Pedagogy and Practice for Our Classrooms and Communities

Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Cantú-Sánchez, de León-Zepeda, and Cantú. 2020. 360 pages.
Essays on the first-hand use of Gloria E. Anzaldúa's theories in classrooms and community environments.

Teaching Activity by Edited by Margaret Cantú-Sánchez, Candace de León-Zepeda, and Norma Elia Cantú

Photograph of National Woman's Party watchfire demonstrators standing with banners and fire in urn in front of White House. One banner reads, "President Wilson is deceiving the world when he appears as the prophet of democracy. President Wilson has opposed those who demand democracy for this country. He is responsible for the disfranchisement of millions of Americans. We in America know this. The world will find him out."

Feb. 9, 1919: Women Burn Effigy of President Wilson and Demand Right to Vote

In one of the more spectacular demonstrations for women's voting rights, the National Woman’s Party burned President Woodrow Wilson in effigy in front of the White House during the campaign for the 19th Amendment.

April 17, 1944: Modjeska Simkins Challenges SC Governor to a Debate

Prompted by South Carolina’s all-white political primary system, civil rights advocate Modjeska Monteith Simkins wrote a letter to Governor Olin D. Johnston of South Carolina challenging him to a debate on white supremacy.

Aug. 14, 2017: Activists Topple Confederate Monument in Durham

Freedom fighter Takiyah Thompson looped a bright yellow strap around the neck of a Durham, North Carolina monument to Confederate soldiers, and a crowd of other activists pulled it down, inspiring other communities to take direct action in removing public symbols that glorify white supremacy, and to raise up new stories that celebrate all people.

Theme: Women's History

Sept. 26, 1909: International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union Strike

Sept. 27, 1962: Silent Spring Published

Aug. 1, 1952: Sarah Keys Refuses to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus

The Women Who Caught the Babies: A Story of African American Midwives

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks: Young Readers Edition

Sept. 29, 1951: “A Call to Negro Women” Sojourners for Truth and Justice

Mighty Justice (Young Readers’ Edition): The Untold Story of Civil Rights Trailblazer Dovey Johnson Roundtree

Rethinking the U.S. Constitutional Convention: A Role Play

Salt of the Earth

Dec. 1, 1955: Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat

Nov. 30, 1924: Shirley Chisholm Born

Oct. 8, 2004: Wangari Maathai Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

The Rebellious Lives of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico: Portraits of Soldaderas, Saints, and Subversives

Chicana Movidas: New Narratives of Activism and Feminism in the Movement Era

Teaching Gloria E. Anzaldúa: Pedagogy and Practice for Our Classrooms and Communities

Feb. 9, 1919: Women Burn Effigy of President Wilson and Demand Right to Vote

April 17, 1944: Modjeska Simkins Challenges SC Governor to a Debate

Aug. 14, 2017: Activists Topple Confederate Monument in Durham

La Operación (documentary)

Teaching With Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All

The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

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