Bowie State Celebrates Women's History Month

 BOWIE, MD -In celebration of Women’s History Month, Bowie State University is hosting a number of inspiring events throughout the month of March. The series of events will celebrate the nationally-known accomplishments and movements made by women from the past and present. 

“Women’s History Month is a time for everyone to celebrate the contributions of women, both in history and today,” said Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Karen Johnson Shaheed. “It is important for the University to come together to recognize the role that so many women have played and continue to play in our society. I am especially pleased to bring attention to the published work of two of our faculty members.” 

Beginning March 1, actress and singer, Sheryl Lee Ralph, will be on campus to kick-off the Women’s History Month celebration at Bowie State University. The event will take place in the Center for Learning and Technology, Room 102 at 7 p.m. Sheryl is well-known for her role on the hit television series, Moesha. From acting to singing to producing, she has played various roles in film, television and Broadway. Recently, she wrote and directed an award-winning film short, Secrets. 

Later in March, a Tea Time and Book Discussion event will be held on the second floor of the Thurgood Marshall Library in the Special Collections Room on March 31 featuring the book, A Mom’s Timeout: Inspirational Devotions for Moms by Moms, written by two Bowie State University faculty members in the Department of English and Modern Languages, Prof. Nicole Wilson and Prof. Tanya McInnis. Both professors are pictured to the left. In its third year at Bowie State, the Tea Time and Book Discussion is an annual event hosted by LaVera L. Burnim, wife of Bowie State University President Mickey L. Burnim, and the Women’s History Month Committee to honor the work, strength and intellect of women. 

“The Tea Time and Book Discussion is an inspiring event which I look forward to each year,” said Mrs. Burnim. “During Women\'s History Month, we pause to honor and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of women from all walks of life - in the past and the present. In conjunction with an initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama, this year we are trying to help women find "balance" in the many roles they assume on a daily basis. We often neglect to take time to reflect, replenish and renew ourselves; sometimes, we too need a timeout.”

The book, A Mom’s Timeout, strongly encourages mothers, who often lead hectic lives, to pause and regain the strength they need to face the challenge of motherhood. The women in the book share stories and testimonies about their experiences and encourage moms to do what most moms claim they rarely have time to do, which is take a break. To learn more about the book, click here.

“We are hoping to expand our reach for the 2011 Tea Time and Book Discussion by directly reaching out to mothers in our communities,” said Assistant Vice President of Development Yolanda Pruitt. “Nearly any woman can relate to this book in some way and we look forward to reading and sharing our stories together.” 

The national celebration originally began as a Women’s History Week that was initiated in 1978 by the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women. The week of March 8 was selected for the celebration. Schools throughout the nation began to host their own programs catering to the chosen week. The celebration then expanded to the entire month of March in 1987 after the National Women\'s History Project successfully petitioned the expansion to Congress. Because of the approval from both House and Senate providing bipartisan support, the Women’s History Month became an annually, recognized celebration for every month of March.