Author: Sharon Fletcher Jones
March 1, 2018
The national women’s history month theme — #NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED: Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination against Women resonates with women of all races, creeds, colors and religions. In keeping with this theme, a variety of activities will take place throughout Orlando to celebrate Women’s History Month.
The Orlando Public Library (Albertson Room) celebrates with films that highlight the achievements of women and recognize the contributions of women throughout history beginning today with Zero Dark Thirty from 11:00am. – 1:30pm. On March 12th see Lady Sings the Blues followed by Suffragette on March 19th and Akeelah and the Bee on March 26th. For more information about these special screenings contact 407-835-7323 or visit https://www.ocls.info/womens-history-month.
Celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th by remembering Coretta Scott King. Scott King bemoaned the fact that she was too often admired and overlooked at the same time with no consideration given to her own personal substance. “I am made to sound like an attachment to a vacuum cleaner,” she explained, “the wife of Martin, then the widow of Martin, all of which I was proud to be. But I was never just a wife, nor a widow. I was always more than a label.”
ONYX Magazine’s Women on the Move Awards luncheon will be held at the Alfond Hotel in Winter Park, Florida on March 15th. Visit www.onyxwomenonthemove.com for details.
A hands-on technical training workshop and panel discussion will be provided by the Women in Defense National Security Organization on March 29th. Check out http://cfl-wid.org/event/2018-womens-history-month-celebration-event/ for details.
If you’re tooling around town put Mable Butler Avenue into your GPS. The street named to honor Orlando’s first African American female to serve as both City and Orange County Commissioner, is located off of John Young Parkway and ends at the history maker’s home. You may find Mrs. Butler tending her unique collection of frogs!
Bessie Coleman, born in 1892, was the first licensed African American aviatrix. The trailblazer lived in Orlando in the 1920s and thrilled crowds with daredevil aerobatics. Unable to attend U.S. flight schools, Coleman moved to France and received her license within seven months at the famous Caudron Brother’s School of Aviation. Coleman lived with a local minister and his wife on Washington Street and opened a beauty shop to raise money for a plane. In 2015, the city renamed part of West Washington in Parramore as Bessie Coleman Street and the Bessie Coleman Street designation on Washington Avenue near the Orlando Executive Airport was officially designated by the Florida State Legislature. Coleman died tragically, in a 1926 aviation accident.
