NAUW Eunice Branch hosts ‘Women in Government’

Members of the National Association of University-Eunice Branch held a Women in History program recently and has for the past several years recognized and honored women in the community for work they do to help make life better.
Ardessie C. Francois, member of NAUW, added, “We’ve honored club presidents, the oldest lady in the church, educators, social workers, school administrators, religious leaders, female business owners, etc.
This year, “Women in Government” were honored. Honorees included Cheryl Milburn, St. Landry Parish registrar of voters; Gloria A. Alexander, Eunice postmaster; and Linda F. Brown, Deputy clerk of court. Also honored was the “2016 Eunice Branch Woman-of-the-Year,” Meriva P. Fontenot. President Denise W. Antoine took advantage of her position and chose a “Special “Woman-of-the-Year” based on her diligence in performance even though her health prevented her attendance to meetings and activities, Gladys L. Blount.
The final honoree was the “Singles Parent,” Lacy Dupre, a second -year engineering student at LSU in Baton Rouge. Emcee Chairperson for the program was Carolyn Baldwin.
Others participating on the program were NAUW members Lelia Adams, second vice president; Michelle Allison, Maryland Graham, founder of the branch; Patricia D. Harrison, Chiquita M. Thomas, first vice president; Turquoise Guillory, Ardessie C. Francois, Samaj Bradley, Mr. NAUW; and Denise W. Antoine, president.
Women’s History Month in the United States grew out of a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions to culture, history and society organized by the school district of Sonoma, California, in 1978.
Presentations were given at dozens of schools where hundreds of students participated in a “Real Woman” essay contest and a parade was held in downtown Santa Rosa.
To coincide with Women’s History Month 2011, the White House issued a 50-year progress report on the status of women in the United States. It found that younger women are now more likely than their male counterparts to hold a college degree and that the number of men and women in the labor force has nearly equalized.
A few years later, the idea had caught on within communities, school districts and organizations across the country.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week.
The U.S. Congress followed suit the next year, passing a resolution establishing a national celebration. Six years later, the National Women’s History Project successfully petitioned Congress to expand the event to the entire month of March.