We tend to think of history as distant but, truly, history is made once the moment passes. We all play a part in it, whether we are passive or assertive. Women, once again, have an opportunity to make major change, and many women and girls are rising to that challenge. Your part in making history can be dynamic or subtle, but how wonderful to realize that you, too, are instrumental in this process. You might choose to march, sign a petition, or run for office. You might join or start a conversation in your neighborhood, workplace, or among your friends and family. You might speak up for those less able or share an image, a story, or a quote on social media. You may even change jobs, pursue an interest, or share your thoughts and feelings with those close to you or far away. In all of your choices, you are adding to our history. You are perpetuating a rumor, encouraging an ideal, or instilling reasons for hope. Your voice—in sound, print, or image—makes a difference and an imprint in our collective history. Women and girls are speaking up, sharing their stories of injustice after a long time of hiding—whether through fear, frustration, or shame—they can be silent no longer. And each voice acts as a ripple affecting their circle, their community, and eventually the world at large. We are all a part of making history right now, right here. By our actions or our inaction, through our voice or our silence, from our most assertive to our most gentle — our presence is part of the story of this time.
So, in Women's History Month, we often reflect on the trailblazers of the past. I want to remind you of the present. The choices you make today, and in each moment, may or may not make the history books but they will definitely leave a mark on tomorrow. How do you want that history to read? And how do you want to feel, knowing you were a part of it?