March was filled with incredible opportunities to celebrate and share Women’s History in engaging and meaningful ways! From library performances featuring time-traveling guests Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth to presenting the film Ratify at Francine Case’s Women Supporting Women event, it has been an exciting and fulfilling month. I also launched a new program, Scribbling Women Then and Now, for the Missouri Professional Communicators, diving into the overlooked voices of 19th-century women writers.
One highlight of the month was participating in the Washington University Supplier Diversity Exhibit, where I made valuable new connections. Along the way, books were sold, business cards exchanged, and now I eagerly await the phone calls and email queries that I hope will follow!
A truly special moment happened at the Arnold Branch of the Jefferson County Library. A father brought his second-grade daughter to meet Sojourner Truth—who “time traveled” as my guest on the Rebecca Now and Then talk show interview. The young girl had just written a school report on Sojourner and was thrilled to meet her (or at least her reenactor!). It was a memorable experience for both of us. The engaged audience in Arnold asked insightful questions, and the library staff was incredibly welcoming. Moments like these remind me why I love bringing history to life through reenactment.
Another fascinating discovery this month came while preparing for my talk with the Missouri Professional Communicators. I stumbled upon an anecdote about novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (of The Scarlet Letter fame) lamenting that “America is now wholly given over to a damned mob of scribbling women.” His frustration stemmed from the commercial success of women writers in the 19th century—success that history often overlooks. Researching further, I uncovered a treasure trove of remarkable women authors beyond the well-known Louisa May Alcott, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Emily Dickinson. Writers such as Maria S. Cummins, Sarah Josepha Hale, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Jacobs, Margaret Fuller, Lydia Maria Child, and Matilda Gage contributed immensely to literature, journalism, and historical scholarship. Their voices deserve to be remembered and celebrated.
It has been a fantastic month of performances, presentations, and discoveries. Now, I look forward to taking a well-earned break, enjoying my garden, and embracing the beauty of springtime!
In Gratitude as we Move Onward,
Rebecca Now
Founder and Director, Voices of American HERstory
A 501 C 3 Non-profit