Womens History Month began with a workers protestScary bacteria, a job-application bot, and being smart (Issue #283)Published inThe Medium BlogSent as aNewsletter3 min readJust now--Almost exactly a year ago, we wrote a newsletter on the anti-establishment origins of International Womens Day, and by extension, Womens History Month. One notable point of origin for both holidays? The historic 1908 workers protest, when 15,000 women marched in New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay, and the end of child labor. (Child labor didnt officially end in the U.S. until 1938.)As we wrote in 2024, Womens History Month was a grassroots effort for decades until 1987, when Congress signed it into law. Former legislative aide Susan Scanlan recalls that the holiday was originally going to be in August, surrounding the 26th, when women got the right to vote. But right before Scanlan and Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski submitted their bill, Scanlan paused. Barbara, do you really want to be outside parading on August 26 when its hotter than the hinges of hell??? (If youve been to Maryland in summer, you get it.)Thats how they landed on March, which coincided with International Womens Day. We wanted the cherry blossoms in bloom, she remembers, and we wanted it to be marching weather.What I like about this story is they designed a holiday theyd actually want to celebrate. Tomorrow marks the 117th anniversary of that 1908 protest by women workers and for more history, I recommend starting with Medium writer and U.S. history PhD Melissa DeVelvis Womens History Syllabus. It was first published a few years back but the reading recommendations still hold up, beginning with Salem Witch Trial transcripts and leading up to shows like I Love Lucy, 30 Rock, and Insecure. Harris Sockel