By Gillian Berloffe
Women’s History Month has just begun. This is a month dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and innovations of women throughout our time on Earth. Still, when you break down the word “history,” you get “his story.” This is not necessarily purposeful. “History” comes from the Greek word “historia.” However, the sentiment still rings true.
Think back to history class and think of as many women you can recall learning about. Maybe you thought of Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks, Queen Elizabeth I, Amelia Earhart, Clara Barton, Cleopatra, etc. These are important figures, but the handful of names we are able to remember from our textbooks are always the same 10 to 20 women. Meanwhile, male historical figures are explored in depth. We learn about dozens of male inventors, scientists, leaders and war heroes, but women’s contributions are often condensed to a footnote.
Even when a woman’s story is told, it is often through the lens of how exceptional she was “for a woman,” rather than just being exceptional. For example, Marie Curie is always framed as “the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize” instead of a brilliant scientist who revolutionized our understanding of radioactivity. The distinction may seem small, but it reinforces the idea that a woman’s success is remarkable mainly because of her gender, not her actual work.
Locally, most Slippery Rock University students know of Emma Guffey Miller, the ghost that haunts North Hall. However, Miller was a real woman who was a pioneer for real change.
Miller was a women’s rights activist who was critical in establishing the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women. She was unapologetically outspoken in her beliefs, supporting the Equal Rights Amendment and denouncing the Ku Klux Klan. She even maintained friendships with Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and she was a Democratic National Committeewoman until her death in 1970.
Miller had great influence on Slippery Rock University (then Slippery Rock State College). She served on the Board of Trustees from 1933 until 1968. She dedicated herself to bettering the campus, using her political connections to obtain funding for new constructions such as several classroom buildings and a new North Hall after fire destroyed the first one. It is likely that without Miller, North Hall may not be standing today to provide affordable student housing for approximately 260 SRU students.
Despite all of this and more, Miller is nothing but a myth and legend to so many of us. When Students hear a door slam in North Hall they giggle and say, “It must be Emma Guffey Miller!” It is important to remember that she was so much more than that.
What is most infuriating is the women who have been forgotten throughout history because men took credit for their work. Rosalind Franklin’s research was critical in discovering the structure of DNA. The facts point to her playing an equal part in this discovery, however James Watson and Francis Clark are the only two credited for the double helix model in our history books.
When men have a historical impact, they are geniuses, but women are often the “inspiration” behind a man’s work, especially if they were in relationships with male historical figures. Zelda Fitzgerald was not only F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife, but also an accomplished writer. Many historians believe that her husband took ideas from her diaries to use in his own writing, yet many still view her as simply his muse.
Martha Washington is remembered solely as George Washington’s wife, despite being instrumental in maintaining morale among soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Similarly, Eliza Hamilton was remembered as the scorned wife Alexander Hamilton cheated on until the Broadway musical “Hamilton” showcased her contributions to history as a singular person.
Hollywood has begun to lend a helping hand as well. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson’s calculations helped NASA send the first men into space. Their story was retold in 2016 on the silver screen in “Hidden Figures,” but their contributions were largely unknown for decades.
There is no doubt that social media and the film industry have picked up the slack schooling has left when it comes to telling women’s stories in recent years. Much of my knowledge of women’s history comes from these sources. Still, it is important that these stories are taught in school. There have been steps in the right direction when it comes to including women’s history in textbooks, although things are at risk of turning around.
With the Trump administration’s threats of withholding federal funding from public schools and universities who comply with DEI, women’s history is facing a major threat. In fact, Google Calendar recently deleted Women’s History Month shortly following its announcement to roll back DEI initiatives. This is just the beginning of what is to come if we continue down this path.
We must continue to fight for women’s history. We have just begun to move forward, and we can not go back.
History is not just a study of the past. It is a reflection of what society values enough to remember. When young girls grow up learning that women’s contributions are secondary to men’s, it sends a message about their worth.
It is time to challenge the way history is written. This means diversifying classroom curriculums to include more women. We must question historical narratives that diminish women’s contributions or credit men entirely for their work. We must recognize that women have always been an integral part of history.
We are not side characters. We are leaders, innovators, artists, composers, scientists and so much more. We can not change the past, but we can change the way we remember it. That starts with making sure her story is finally told.
