As I drove through St. Petersburg on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, leisurely running errands, a throng of people intently walking towards downtown crossed my path.¶I wondered why there were so many people interrupting the calm of my Sunday drive.¶And then it hit me. It was the second anniversary of the St. Petersburg Women's March.
I remember gazing at the crowd of women, men, and children, wondering if any of them knew about some of the lesser-known, but significant historic pioneers who participated in the Women's Suffrage on Washington March 3, 1913.
I am a member of America's largest African American sorority. This gives me an historical perspective and active challenge of meaningfully sustaining my participation in the affairs of the community, both local and beyond.
As college students at Howard University in 1913, the women of my sorority were one of the only organized African American groups to march in the Women's Suffrage March on Washington. As a newly formed sorority, this cemented the organization's commitment to civic engagement and public service.
The participation in such an event was neither a social standard nor an exercise of political convenience. These young women took great risks to join a movement to which they were not invited. Largely heralded as the sorority's first act of public service, the march serves as a defining moment in the establishment of our institutional identity.
One day prior to this year's Women's March in St. Petersburg, I joined more than 300 sorority members from Bradenton, Clearwater, Lakeland, Tampa and St. Petersburg to celebrate the 105th anniversary of the founding of our sisterhood.
Riveted by an address from one of our own, Carla A. Harris, all who attended were reminded of the great works of other members of the sorority, like the late Dr. Mona Humphries Bailey, an educator, and civil rights attorney, and Frankie Muse Freeman, both of whom were audacious history makers.
While their names are not always broadly known, these pioneering women made significant contributions to the lives of many.
When I juxtapose this history against the current series of events, I felt like something was missing.
I noticed that we often live within the lines of one municipal jurisdiction, with partial opportunities to exchange and understand the associated perspectives. Two histories, articulated as separate and disconnected, have yielded what can be viewed as two communities, with separate and competing agendas.
We should consider a few things.
What was and remains true is, all women, including women of color, have a long history of fighting for the rights for all people. What is also true is, invited or not, people of color have invested their lives to the cause of making e pluribus unum a reality - out of many, we can become one.
Marching forward, we should inquire and share. Tampa Bay is a thriving region that is competing for space on a global stage where we belong. We share a rich history that includes the stories of a few unsung heroes and hidden figures.
As we continue to grow, there are responsibilities on all sides for our collective learning and how that informs who we become. We should extend the invitations that require more effort and pursue the relationships that challenge us to grow. For expanding the cultural and historical literacy of our entire community, we must share our stories with our entire community. We should remind ourselves to blur the lines of our divisions and realize a shared dream.
As Women's History Month comes to an end, let's challenge ourselves to walk beyond the current of a news cycle and embrace the power region we are destined to be.
We have walked a few miles in each other's shoes. And I believe, on another day of sunshine or rain, we will find it worthwhile to walk a few more.
Estella Gray is a local public relations practitioner.