Women's History Month Program

March 18th, 2009
10:00-11:00 a.m.
DOC Auditorium

The U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are pleased to announce their program commemorating 2009 National Women’s History Month. The 2009 national theme is "Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet." This year's program will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, from 10:00 - 11:00 AM, in the auditorium at the U.S. Department of Commerce, located at 1401 Constitution Ave., N.W. (Federal Triangle Metro on the blue/orange lines). Seating for this event is on a first come, first serve basis.

The keynote speaker will be Ms. Anita Hill, Professor of Law, Public Policy and Women’s Studies, at Heller Graduate School of Policy and Management, Brandeis University. In 1991, Professor Hill was thrust into the public spotlight when she testified about sexual harassment before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 1995, Professor Hill wrote her biography, Speaking Truth to Power, which was published by Doubleday Press.

Professor Hill has written op-ed articles for Time, Inc., Newsweek, and the New York Times, and appears regularly on national television programs, including Meet the Press, Today Show, and Larry King Live. Despite a demanding speaking schedule, Professor Hill continues her teaching and research. She believes that the combination of popular and scholarly work keeps her ideas fresh, relevant, and well grounded.

Her civic contributions include membership on the Board of Governors of the Tufts Medical Center, Board of Directors of the National Women’s Law Center, and the Boston Area Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. In addition, as a consultant to American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Professor Hill has advised on finance, health, diversity, and lifestyle issues facing the baby boomer generation.

Ms. Anna Gomez, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, and Deputy Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the program. Ms. Gomez was appointed by President Obama to help facilitate the nation’s historic transition to digital television.

In addition, there will be a performance by Ms. Tanya Blount. Ms. Blount, a native Washingtonian, studied vocal music at Potomac High School, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and Morgan State University under the leadership of the late Dr. Nathan Carter. By the age of 19, Tanya had secured a major recording deal with Polydor, and by age 20, she was featured in the movie, Sister Act 2, with Whoppi Goldberg. Her unforgettable performance of “His Eye on the Sparrow,” featuring Lauryn Hill, introduced the world to both her vocal and acting abilities.

This program is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to (202) 482-4481 or TTY (202) 482-2030 as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Senora Coggs, OCR, at (202) 482-8190 or scoggs@doc.gov.

More about National Women's History Month

The purpose of National Women's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women's history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women. It grew out of an effort to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of women in American history.

In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County, California Commission on the Status of Women initiated a "Women's History Week." They did this because -- as recently as the 1970's -- women's history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in the general public consciousness. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women's Day -- March 8 -- which was first celebrated in 1911 in Europe. Celebrations of National Women's History Week spread throughout the nation.

In 1987 -- at the request of museums, libraries, and educators across the country -- the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March. A National Women's History Month Congressional Resolution was quickly passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Every year since then, the U.S. Congress has passed a resolution for Women's History Month.

Commerce Bureau employees are needed to join the Federal Women's Council. If you are interested, or know someone who is, please fill out this application form and fax it to 202-482-5375.

skip navigation
OCR Home \| DOC Home \| Resources \| Publications \| Contact OCR
Links Federal Government Websites Smithsonian Events for Women's History Month New! Information Center from USAJobs Learn more about the hiring process, career exploration, & USAJobs orientation; read FAQs. White House Proclamation on Women's History Month Census Bureau Facts For Features fact sheet on Women's History Month U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau website Places Where Women Made History - a National Park Service website Call to Serve -- a joint initiative sponsored by the Partnership for Public Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, providing information on careers in the federal government. Search the directory of federal internships and information with a network of over 600 colleges. In addition, you'll find information about multiple vacancies in the federal sector, subdivided by jobs that require language skills, loan repayment programs, etc. Library of Congress Exhibits: Women Come to the Front: Journalists, Photographers, and Broadcasters during World War II Votes for Women: Selections from the Woman Suffrage Association Collection: 1848-1921 "Votes for Women" Suffrage Pictures 1850-1920 Women's History Manuscripts Sites Outside the Federal Government Note: When you click on any of the following sites, you will be leaving the Department of Commerce website for a site outside the Federal government. You may want to review the privacy policy of that site. Their information practices may differ from ours. Disclaimers Federally Employed Women National Women's History Project National Women's Hall of Fame - Hall of Fame for American Women in Seneca Falls, New York. Web site includes biographies of the inductees and a women's history quiz. National Museum of Women in the Arts - Overview of the collections, exhibitions, and educational programs at the museum. Also includes artworks by women from a variety of time periods and a brief biography and bibliography for selected artists. Women's Biographies: Distinguished Women of the Past and Present - Searchable by subject and by name. About.com Women's History Pages - Includes biographies, women's history by time period, African American and Native American women's history, today in women's history and other women's history topics. Women's Studies Links and Resources from Columbia University WASP - WWII website - spotlights the first women to fly American military aircraft. Women Artists of the 20th Century About.com web page on African American Women's History Enterprising Women: 250 Years of American Business History Channel Women's History Month Page Infoplease.com Women's History Month page National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Since 1975 the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, in Fort Worth, Texas, has honored cowgirls and other heroines of the American West. The museum features exhibits, lectures, and other events. Potter Maria Martinez, writer Willa Cather, and Indian guide Sacajawea are among the women who are honored at the Hall of Fame. National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts, in Washington, DC, is the only museum in the world that focuses on the achievements of women artists. The museum's permanent collection includes more than 3,000 works of art, from sculpture to paintings to photography, and covers the 16th through 21st centuries. Women of the West Museum Founded in 1991, the Women of the West Museum, in Denver, Colorado, offers traveling exhibits, online activities, and a variety of educational programs. Topics explored in recent exhibits include the early fight for woman suffrage in the West and what life was like for the many women homesteaders who lived in sod houses. International Women's Air and Space Museum The International Women's Air and Space Museum, in Cleveland, Ohio, was established in 1986 to honor the history of women who took flight in our atmosphere and beyond. Information covers adventurer pilots such as Amelia Earhart, women pilots in the military, and those who ventured into the new frontier-space travel. U.S. Army Women's Museum The U.S. Army Women's Museum, in Fort Lee, Virginia, opened in May 2001. The museum is dedicated to preserving the history of women who served in the army from the Revolutionary War through today. It is located on the former site of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) Center and School, where thousands of army women had trained.		Women's History Month Program March 18th, 2009 10:00-11:00 a.m. DOC Auditorium The U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are pleased to announce their program commemorating 2009 National Women’s History Month. The 2009 national theme is "Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet." This year's program will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, from 10:00 - 11:00 AM, in the auditorium at the U.S. Department of Commerce, located at 1401 Constitution Ave., N.W. (Federal Triangle Metro on the blue/orange lines). Seating for this event is on a first come, first serve basis. The keynote speaker will be Ms. Anita Hill, Professor of Law, Public Policy and Women’s Studies, at Heller Graduate School of Policy and Management, Brandeis University. In 1991, Professor Hill was thrust into the public spotlight when she testified about sexual harassment before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 1995, Professor Hill wrote her biography, Speaking Truth to Power, which was published by Doubleday Press. Professor Hill has written op-ed articles for Time, Inc., Newsweek, and the New York Times, and appears regularly on national television programs, including Meet the Press, Today Show, and Larry King Live. Despite a demanding speaking schedule, Professor Hill continues her teaching and research. She believes that the combination of popular and scholarly work keeps her ideas fresh, relevant, and well grounded. Her civic contributions include membership on the Board of Governors of the Tufts Medical Center, Board of Directors of the National Women’s Law Center, and the Boston Area Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. In addition, as a consultant to American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Professor Hill has advised on finance, health, diversity, and lifestyle issues facing the baby boomer generation. Ms. Anna Gomez, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, and Deputy Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will serve as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the program. Ms. Gomez was appointed by President Obama to help facilitate the nation’s historic transition to digital television. In addition, there will be a performance by Ms. Tanya Blount. Ms. Blount, a native Washingtonian, studied vocal music at Potomac High School, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and Morgan State University under the leadership of the late Dr. Nathan Carter. By the age of 19, Tanya had secured a major recording deal with Polydor, and by age 20, she was featured in the movie, Sister Act 2, with Whoppi Goldberg. Her unforgettable performance of “His Eye on the Sparrow,” featuring Lauryn Hill, introduced the world to both her vocal and acting abilities. This program is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to (202) 482-4481 or TTY (202) 482-2030 as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Senora Coggs, OCR, at (202) 482-8190 or scoggs@doc.gov. More about National Women's History Month The purpose of National Women's History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women's history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women. It grew out of an effort to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of women in American history. In 1978, the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County, California Commission on the Status of Women initiated a "Women's History Week." They did this because -- as recently as the 1970's -- women's history was virtually an unknown topic in the K-12 curriculum or in the general public consciousness. The week was chosen to coincide with International Women's Day -- March 8 -- which was first celebrated in 1911 in Europe. Celebrations of National Women's History Week spread throughout the nation. In 1987 -- at the request of museums, libraries, and educators across the country -- the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March. A National Women's History Month Congressional Resolution was quickly passed with strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Every year since then, the U.S. Congress has passed a resolution for Women's History Month. Federal Women's Council Commerce Bureau employees are needed to join the Federal Women's Council. If you are interested, or know someone who is, please fill out this application form and fax it to 202-482-5375. Application for FEWP Program Council (Word File) (PDF file) Any questions about the Council? Contact Senora Coggs.
skip disclaimer Disclaimer: The OCR Web site contains information originating from other organizations, both public and private. The Web site also contains hyperlinks to documents and resources from such public and private organizations. While every attempt is made to ensure that all information is accurately referenced on our site, we do not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness or quality of the content of these outside sources. The inclusion of hyperlinks does not indicate endorsement of any particular products, companies, information providers or the content of the referenced sites. Skip Links OCR Home\| DOC Home \| Contact OCR \| Resources \| Publications \| Privacy Policy \| Disclaimers US Department of Commerce, Office of Civil Rights, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 6012, Washington, D.C. 20230 We welcome your feedback on this site. Please e-mail comments and suggestions to hmahoney@doc.gov Help us make our site accessible. Please send us your feedback on accessibility. Page last updated: Monday, March 9, 2009