ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Women’s History Month has celebrated women’s contributions to history, culture and society since 1987.
Today, we continue that celebration as we spotlight three significant women who have made an impact in our history.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris is the first woman and first South Asian and black Vice President of the United States. The daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, Harris represents many women throughout the country.
She has many accomplishments such as graduating from the historically black university, Howard University, and serving as the district attorney for San Francisco. In 2011, she became the first black Attorney General in the state of California’s history.
She also served as a United States senator, representing California, from 2017 to 2021.
Juliette Gordon Low
During the Progressive Era in 1912, when women in the United States couldn’t vote, a nearly deaf 51-year-old, Juliette Gordon Low, sparked a worldwide movement.
This movement began when Low organized and prepared 18 girls in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia to meet their world with courage, confidence and character. As the movement grew, Low continued inspiring girls to embrace their individuality, strength and intellect. She shared what she had learned abroad about a new outdoor and educational program for youths and the Girl Scout Movement was born.
Along with Low, the first Girl Scouts blazed trails and redefined what was possible for themselves and for girls everywhere. They played basketball, hiked, swam and camped. The girls also learned to read the world around them by studying a foreign language and telling time by the stars. They shared a sense of curiosity and a belief that they could do anything. Most importantly, just like Girl Scouts across the country and around the globe, they offered a helping hand to those in need and worked to improve their corner of the world.
That small gathering of girls Low hosted over a century ago has grown into a global movement in which 2.6 million girls can see themselves reflected, and that is united across distance and decades by lifelong friendships, shared adventures, and the desire to do big thing
s to make the world a better place.
Ruth Graves Wakefield
Ruth Graves Wakefield, born on June 17, 1903, is best known as the inventor of the Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie.
After graduating from the Framingham State Normal School Department of Household Arts in 1924, Wakefield became a dietician and food lecturer. She was also an educator, business owner, chef and author.
In 1930, while mixing a batch of cookies for guests at her inn, she discovered that she was out of baker’s chocolate. She substituted with broken pieces of Nestlé’s semi-sweet chocolate; expecting it to melt and absorb into the dough to create chocolate cookies. Surprising results helped to make Wakefield one of the 20th century’s most famous women inventors. Once she removed the pan from the oven, Wakefield realized that she had accidentally invented “chocolate chip cookies”.
She named her cookies “Toll House Crunch Cookies.” They became very popular cookies in her community, resulting in the Boston newspaper publishing the recipe. The sales of the Nestlé’s semi-sweet chocolate bars spiked when the Toll House Crunch Cookies became popular. Wakefield agreed to allow Nestlé to print the cookie recipe on its packages and in return Nestlé agreed she would receive a lifetime supply of Nestlé’s chocolate.
Chocolate chip cookies became a favorite treat for people of all ages, but without the famous woman inventor, Ruth Wakefield, the world might never have tasted those sweet delights.
These three women worked hard, were dedicated, educated and motivated. Their stories continue to serve as motivation for women to explore life’s possibilities.
Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/07/kamala-harris-elected-vice-president.html
https://www.girlscouts.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-history.html
Women-inventors.com/Ruth-Wakefield.asp
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