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A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MARCH 2024 AS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AND FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 1, 2024 AS THE BETSEY, LUCY, AND ANARCHA DAYS OF RECOGNITION FOR THE CITY OF GAHANNA
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WHEREAS, women of every race, class, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation, state, and community in countless recorded and unrecorded ways; and
WHEREAS, the 2024 theme of Women’s History Month as established by the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” The NWHA shares: “the theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions;” and
WHEREAS, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), in the 1840s, Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha, three enslaved Black women in Alabama, were subjected to inhumane and painful experimentation; and
WHEREAS, since 2021, ACOG has encouraged education of Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha’s harrowing experiences in order to help raise awareness about the history of racism and sexism in medicine, to learn from the history of racism and sexism in obstetrics and gynecology; and to remember the importance of more inclusive, respectful, and culturally informed service across industries and sectors; and
WHEREAS, women have played and continue to play critical economic, cultural, and social roles in every sphere of the life of the nation by constituting a significant portion of the labor force, both volunteer and paid, working inside and outside of the home; and
WHEREAS, women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions in our nation; and
WHEREAS, women have served our country courageously in the military and as first responders in firefighting and paramedicine, dispatching, and policing; and
WHEREAS, women have been leaders, not only in securing their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, anti-war and peace movements, and others, which create a more fair and just society for all; and
WHEREAS, American women have made and continue to make pivotal contributions in medicine and science including in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, and according to various sources, hold over 70 percent of all healthcare jobs in America; and
WHEREAS, women in Gahanna have served the community in important capacities throughout the City’s history in education, healthcare, philanthropy, historic and environmental preservation, professional, service, and civic roles; and
WHEREAS, women of Gahanna, the state of Ohio, and our nation are deserving of recognition for their historical and present contributions to the overall welfare of the community, and for their sacrifices to advancements across sectors but particularly in the field of medicine.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA, COUNTY OF FRANKLIN, STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That this Council does hereby recognize March 2024 as Women’s History Month and February 28 - March 1, 2024 as the Betsey, Lucy, and Anarcha Days of Recognition for the City of Gahanna.
Section 2. That this Resolution shall be in full force and effect at the earliest period allowed by law.