International Women's History Month

Happy International Women's History Month. We'll be sharing information about a few womxn who inspire us with their commitment to truth-telling and liberation through education all month.

First Up: Dr. Helen Grey Edmonds- the first Black women to earn a PhD at Ohio State University and one of North Carolina Central University’s finest professors. Her first book, The Negro and Fusion Politics in North Carolina, 1894–1901 helped reclaim the truth about the Wilmington Coup & Massacre.

Our tributes continue with Dr. Ruth Dial Woods. Dr. Woods grew up in a family of educators and continued that tradition after earning her bachelor’s degree from Meredith College. A member of the Lumbee tribe, Woods devoted much of her time in the 1960s to what she describes as a multiracial Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina. Her activism continued into the 1970s when she was actively involved in the Women’s Liberation Movement. In 1985 she became the first woman appointed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees. Whether in the classroom or as the Associate Superintendent of Robeson County Schools, Woods fiercely advocated for equality and access for students of color across North Carolina.

Mrs. Carrie Thomas Jordan was a dedicated educator. The Atlanta native devoted her career to developing enriched, rigorous curriculums for Black students as well as meaningful professional learning opportunities for Black educators. She was undeterred when the state of North Carolina refused to prioritize Black education. Her fundraising efforts led to the creation of 12 additional schools for Black children in the early 1900s. Mrs. Jordan fearlessly worked to equip Black children with the tools necessary to foster autonomy for themselves and their communities.

Dr. Leslie Brown was an esteemed historian and educator. Her research focused on African American life after the Civil War. Moreover, LGTBQ+ and students of color from Duke University to Williams College celebrated her teaching and mentorship. Dr. Brown’s first book Upbuilding Black Durham received the Frederick Douglas Turner Award from the Organization of American Historians in 2008. That book highlights the various community building mechanisms that helped shape Durham’s Black Wall Street. Additionally, her work poignantly asserts that every tool and strategy will be needed to dismantle white supremacy. We are grateful for her scholarship and its lessons on the multitudes and intersections of Black identity. We hope that she is resting in power and wish peace for her loved ones.