During Women’s History Month, we look back on the powerful work of Junior League women like Sandra Day O’Connor, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Toni Freeman, who have helped us get to where we are today while also looking to the future and considering what we can do to make the world a better place for the women of tomorrow.

“Every day, I’m inspired by the women who raise their voices for equity, who challenge us to think differently, and who show us that our strength lies in our diversity,” shares Aisha Hilliard, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belong (DEIB) of the Junior League of Annapolis (JLA) as she reflects on the National Women’s History Month’s theme for 2024, “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion”. 

This Women’s History Month, JLA is not just looking back; we are looking to the future. We are calling on the community to join us in celebrating the women who have laid the groundwork for a more inclusive future and developing women to do a world of good.

We ask you today, who are the women in your life deserving of recognition? Let’s honor them, not just with our words, but also by following in their footsteps. Here are some of our members who are doing a world of good in our community:

Ellen Shiery, coordinator of the JLA 2024 ALIGN Series, brought together over 100 people for this two-part DEIB training.

JLA in the Community:
JLA Volunteers have given over 100 hours in the first two and a half months of 2024! Throughout the entire League Year, projects range from helping alleviate food insecurity, providing supplies for foster kids, donating  supplies to reduce period poverty, and supporting early learning/literacy programs.

Leading in our Community:
This League year, we had several JLA Members appointed to local commissions. Kellie Gaither was recently appointed to the Commission on Environmental Justice Sustainable Communities (CEJSC), and three of our JLA members were named commissioners for the Anne Arundel County Commission for Women (Aisha Hilliard, Stacie Spragins, and Monet Proctor).

Leading us into the future:
The 2024 New Members class has dedicated their class project to collecting the supplies teachers requested to help enhance the learning experience for Hilltop Elementary students. Hilltop Elementary School is a Title I school in Anne Arundel County, with 80% of the student body coming from low-income families. They are working to make a positive impact and foster an atmosphere conducive to learning and growth. If you would like to support their efforts, please visit their Amazon storefront at https://tinyurl.com/usrwe4sd and help us provide tools to help educate children in our community. 

For more information about the Junior League of Annapolis, please visit our website at www.jlannapolis.org. 

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About the Junior League of Annapolis:
Junior League of Annapolis, Inc. is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training. It reaches out to all women of any race, religion, or national origin who demonstrate an interest in and a commitment to voluntarism.

About Women’s History Month:
Women’s History Month is observed each year during March. This is a time specifically set aside to pay homage to all of the great accomplishments of the women in our community. This observance began in 1987 and is a time to celebrate women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. The observance of Women’s History Month began in 1980 as a weeklong celebration when President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 2-8, 1980, as Women’s History Week. Seven years later, in 1987, Congress passed a law proclaiming the month of March as Women’s History Month across the United States. Since 1995, each United States president has issued proclamations naming March as Women’s History Month.

Each year, the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) announces a theme for Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” This theme recognizes women who understand the need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.