In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declared by a presidential proclamation that March 2-8 should be henceforth “Women’s History Week,” releasing the following statement: “Too often, the women were unsung, and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed,” he wrote. “But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America were as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.” Today, a presidential proclamation annually designates the month of March as a time to reflect and honor American women’s achievements, both in the home and workforce, for the roles they play in communities across the nation.
Southern women are historically presented as simply an idealized version of a character whose virtues are unmatched. Historically, one must be a warm, enchanting, polite, respectful, well-kept, good cook, community leader, and church attender. Yet, their speech, appearance, social habits, and overall demeanor create a distinction among women that defines their behaviors as concretely Southern. Do they resemble Margaret Mitchell’s enduring characters, Scarlett O’Hara or Melanie Wilkes? Perhaps Fanny Flag’s indomitable Idgie Threadgood or Kathryn Stockett’s Minny Jackson?
But why place the burden of living on a pedestal directly on the shoulders of these Southern women? Because they distinctively carry the past with them wherever they go. Trying to connect the antebellum “Southern Belle” mentality with the reality of modern women is almost impossible. It is an extreme level of contradiction that, when you think about it, perfectly defines a Southern woman. They are strong yet tender, kind but firm, and friendly yet fierce.
From small towns to large cities, Southern women have persevered. They’ve earned the right to vote, lead, and challenge the status quo. They know how equally difficult it is to advance a career or raise a family. Many do both. Reba McIntyre said it best, “A backbone is required to be successful in this life, along with a wishbone and a funny bone.”
Southern women feed families and souls while trying to maintain their sense of self. They’re the caretakers and the memory makers of a culture looking to them for direction. They inspire change and confidence in the next generation and attempt to balance their fear of failure with their dreams of greatness. And they do indeed succeed.
Many notable women are famous and successful, and their names and faces are recognizable. They’ve worked hard to get where they are today and should be honored. Let’s briefly pay homage to some of the South’s most incredible women, past and present, whose names are synonymous with their fields of study.
Dr. Carla Hayden, from Tallahassee, Florida, is the first African American Female Librarian of Congress. Her primary goal is to protect libraries as a space where learning and knowledge are available to everyone.
Christina Hammock Koch, from Jacksonville, North Carolina, is an engineer and Astronaut for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). She was a member of the first all-female spacewalk crew.
Katherine Johnson hails from White Sulpher Spring, West Virginia. She was one of the first African American women mathematicians for NASA. Her primary focus was calculating trajectories and launch windows for Project Mercury and the Apollo missions. She also supported the efforts that launched Alan Shephard and John Glenn into space.
Eudora Welty was a Jackson, Mississippi, native and short story writer. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for The Optimist’s Daughter, was a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
