Spotlight on History
Women’s History Month
3/1/2018
Throughout the month of March, the LDMA is celebrating Women’s History Month! Witness the stories of trailblazing Louisiana women as they fight for women’s rights and make significant contributions in government and the arts.
Women’s Rights Issues
- Gaining the right to vote in 1920
- The attempted ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1977, 1979, and 1982
- The fight to repeal the nation’s oldest Head and Master Law, which allowed a husband to make community property decisions without his wife’s consent
Women in Politics & Government
- Lindy Boggs, the first Louisiana woman elected to the United States Congress
- Virginia Shehee, the first woman elected to the Louisiana Senate without suceeding her husband
- Mary Landrieu, the first Louisiana woman elected to the United States Senate
- Catherine “Kitty” Kimball, the first woman elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court
- Kathleen Blanco, the first Louisiana woman elected Governor
- Sibal Holt, the first African American woman to lead an AFL-CIO state branch
- Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (2008-2012)
Panel Discussions
- Head and Master Law / Louisiana Alive! (1979)
- In the Halls of Power: The Legacy of Louisiana’s Elected Women / McLeod Lecture Series
- Louisiana’s Legislature: Where are the Women? / Louisiana Public Square
Women in Arts and Culture
- Author Kate Chopin
- Lithographer Caroline Durieux
- Author Shirley Ann Grau
- Chef Leah Chase
- Forester Caroline Dormon
- Swamp Tour Guide “Alligator Annie” Miller
- Singer Irma Thomas
- Artist Clyde Connell
- Restaurant owner Ruth Fertel
- Actress Kitty Carlisle Hart
Documentaries
Throughout the month of March, you can view these documentaries in their entirety:
To see all of these videos and more, you can view the full Women’s History topic here.