March is Women’s History Month—a month to celebrate women’s contributions to American history. The event began in 1978 in Santa Rosa, California as a local celebration, and in 1980 was established by Jimmy Carter as a national event. In 1987, Congress designated March as Women’s History Month.
The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) was born in 2018 from the original movement and promotes women’s history yearlong. Their theme for Women’s History Month 2019 is “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence.” According to the official NWHA website, the intention is to celebrate women who have “led efforts to end war, violence, and injustice and pioneered the use of nonviolence to change society.”
The NWHA has distinguished eleven women who fit this profile and have positively impacted their community. All eleven are amazing women, but one that stuck out to me was Graciela Sanchez. She is the founder of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center and a passionate combatant of racism, sexism, homophobia, and class elitism. The Esperanza is a community-based arts and cultural organization based in San Antonio, Texas that seeks to serve marginalized communities. Sanchez has been recognized by the NWHA for her activism with this organization. For example, one of Sanchez’s programs with the Esperanza, CineMujer, gives women within the San Antonio community the chance to share their own films and videos. The film series highlights critically acclaimed films and accomplished women.
One difficulty in seeking to help several marginalized communities instead of just one is that people who belong to multiple communities feel like they have to choose one fight over the other, and thus may not identify with Esperanza. Despite this, Sanchez refuses to choose just one cause. “This is my whole self,” she said in an interview. “My identity includes my Latino, queer, feminist and working-class roots.”
Sanchez is also a natural leader. In 2013 she fought to halt the demolition of the building that housed the first Spanish-language television station. When demolition of the building continued anyway, she and some other protestors jumped the fence and stood in the way of the bulldozers. They were arrested and the building was eventually replaced with apartments, but Sanchez’s determination to fight for what she believes in is still admirable.
Stories like Graciela Sanchez’s are always inspiring to me because they remind me that it’s possible to make a difference for the communities you care about if you’re determined to do so. Stay tuned for more stories of empowering women next week as each member of HC Susquehanna will spotlight a woman who inspires them. Happy Women’s History Month!