Women’s History Month
Growing up, I didn’t think I liked history. It was this colonel, that war, those weapons. It wasn’t until I took architecture history, while dual enrolled at Tulane in early 2000s, that I realized that history didn’t have to just be about wars and men. It could be about the evolution of movements, cultural shifts, people, and the places they called home, and that I as a woman could have a place in history.
Now that I have a young daughter, I’m so grateful for all the books about women changemakers, and the people who are elevating their stories, which often took a backseat in decades past, because women were told to take a backseat. I look over at my girl as she celebrates the women on her t-shirts - Maya Angelou, Mae Jemison, Zaha Hadid, Jane Goodall - and tells me of their bravery, and that she is brave too.
As we move into Women’s History Month, I want to share with you all some of the people, projects, books, and inspiration sources that I’ve found in the hopes that they inspire you and your path forward.
I am in no way saying that men, or the history of men, or of any person however they identify is not important, but rather that women make up 50-51% of our population, and yet about 2% of what I remember being exposed to in any history (or for that matter science) class growing up, and I am happy to live in a world that recognizes that inequity and the struggle of women everywhere this month and throughout the year.
Fabulous Podcasts on Female Architects of History and Current:
Fabulous Books by and about Female Architects, Engineers, and Designers:
Kids Book: Celeste Saves the City by my friend, Courtney Kelly, MBA, PE
Kids Book: Maybe I’ll be an Architect, written by Tenille (TJ) Bettenhausen
Design with Love: At Home in America by Katie Swenson
Fabulous Articles about Female Architects, of which, I am beyond honored to be featured:
Madame Architect, founded by the fabulous Julia Gamolina and her amazing team!
And one last recommendation, for all of my fellow "difficult women" and then men that love us! A personal favorite by Karen Karbo, In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons From 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules.
I would love to hear from you –
What women inspire you?
Who do you want to share with the next generation?
What podcasts, books, and articles should we add to this list?