Page 88 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2022

BREAKING
THE GLASS CEILING
Glass ceiling
story by Victoria Snyder
noun
A metaphorical barrier that limits professional advancement for women, minorities, and other nondominant groups. The concept has not always been openly recognized as a barrier that they are forced to break through to be successful in their field.
1840: Catherine Brewer Benson is considered to be the first woman in the United States to earn a bachelor’s degree. She was the first of eleven women to graduate that day.
1900: Countess Hélène de Pourtalès is considered the first woman to compete in the Olympics and was the first female Olympic champion. She competed in sailing and represented Switzerland.
1916: Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to the United States Congress. Yes, before women were even allowed to vote, they were involved in government. She introduced the legislation that became the 19th Amendment.
1920: Marguerite Newburgh Cole is considered to be the first woman to vote in the United States, mere days after the 19th Amendment took effect.
1960s: Kamal Ranadive was an Indian scientist who opened India’s first tissue culture lab where she studied pathophysiology of various cancers and leprosy bacteria. Her work was fundamental to the creation of the leprosy vaccine.
1986: Oprah Winfrey became the first Black woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show. She also went on to be the first woman to own and produce her own talk show.
1987: Aretha Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
2015: Jen Welter became the first female coach in the NFL. She was hired as the defensive coaching intern by the Arizona Cardinals.
[glas see-ling]
Women’s rights have come a long way over the years. Sixty years ago, there was still a stigma over women wearing pants. Now, nobody would question a woman walking into work in a pantsuit. While women legally gained
the right to vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 finally allowed Black women to vote without racial discrimination.
We’ve come a long way and while there is still a long way to go,
it’s worth celebrating the strides made in equal rights. Here are some women who have broken through the glass ceiling in society and helped to bring us this far:
88 | September 2022
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