As a student of history, I have read and learned of many acts of courage and valor by women and men reaching across racial, ethnic, and gender barriers to forge a better society. But the example I cherish the most was one I didn't read about; it was one I personally witnessed. It was the actions of a courageous young woman who took a job in an all-male environment and worked, in her own vibrant way, to expand the intellectual and social climate of a place that had grown accustomed to its own voices and had become insensitive to the tenets of tolerance and openness that many there publicly professed but privately ignored. This young woman, through her spirit and her honesty, fought against the entrenched bureaucracy and tried to make a difference in the lives of many people. She effected real change - change that may not have taken hold institutionally but certainly did personally - and she brought with her a freshness of thought and a tireless energy that resided, and resides still, in the hearts and minds of those whom she touched. This young woman, unfortunately and ironically, became a casualty of the prevailing hostility she fought against and she was forced Ì¢âÂÛÏ perhaps because of her gender? - to move on to other challenges. Yet, her spirit is still felt, though mostly now in the absence of that spirit that for too short a time gave light to a dark place. Having watched her struggle, I realize that making a difference today can require the same courage that Jane Bolin and Justine Wise Polier had in the 1930s - and it is inspiring to know there are people among us who are unafraid to take on this challenge.
As a student of history, I have read and learned of many acts of courage and valor by women and men reaching across racial, ethnic, and gender barriers to forge a better society. But the example I cherish the most was one I didn't read about; it was one I personally witnessed. It was the actions of a courageous young woman who took a job in an all-male environment and worked, in her own vibrant way, to expand the intellectual and social climate of a place that had grown accustomed to its own voices and had become insensitive to the tenets of tolerance and openness that many there publicly professed but privately ignored. This young woman, through her spirit and her honesty, fought against the entrenched bureaucracy and tried to make a difference in the lives of many people. She effected real change - change that may not have taken hold institutionally but certainly did personally - and she brought with her a freshness of thought and a tireless energy that resided, and resides still, in the hearts and minds of those whom she touched. This young woman, unfortunately and ironically, became a casualty of the prevailing hostility she fought against and she was forced Ì¢âÂÛÏ perhaps because of her gender? - to move on to other challenges. Yet, her spirit is still felt, though mostly now in the absence of that spirit that for too short a time gave light to a dark place. Having watched her struggle, I realize that making a difference today can require the same courage that Jane Bolin and Justine Wise Polier had in the 1930s - and it is inspiring to know there are people among us who are unafraid to take on this challenge.