Maria Brown, women’s studies professor, walked up to the podium dressed to the tee and kicked off her speech with one question.

“What is women’s history?” Brown asked  hypothetically.  “Everyone is centered on men and their story, not women’s stories but ‘his-story’ a white male nationalistic perspective.”

Brown’s speech at the women’s history month luncheon last Friday marked the first time a faculty member got the distinction of being guest speaker at the event.

For the month of March, EC aims to honor women’s history in a variety of ways, kicking it off with the luncheon that has been celebrated for 14 years.

 “History is our strength so why not choose someone of our own who is very knowledgeable about women’s history,” Donna Manno, Staff Development Coordinator, said.

Brown said she believes that acknowledging the impact of women’s history is important because the world teaches about a “man’s journey.”  

“Women are excluded from this story along with African-American women and poor people and that even though without a woman a man wouldn’t be in existence, women were still not seen as important.” Brown said.

She said that women made a difference just as much as men did.  Not just Caucasian women but women of all diversities have made a change in our world.  This is why she is so passionate and excited to teach women’s history so students can view the whole story and not just men’s stories.

“Being able to teach women’s history is an exciting thing to do because you get the other side of the story; women’s story.  And you can’t tell one story without telling the other right?” Brown said.

Brown said she enjoys teaching women’s history because students get to learn about a different perspective, the “women’s story.”

One student seemed to be enlightened by Brown’s speech on women.

 “I realize that women do have a choice today.  She made me realize that history isn’t all about men; women are also incorporated in history as well,” Gwendolyn Satchell, 19, business major, said.

Brown feels by teaching women’s history and educating her students well she is helping with women equality.

“When I think about feminism I think about how I feel as a woman, a black American woman that has a choice,” Brown said.

Aside from the women’s history month luncheon last Friday, the second “Girls in the Garage” workshop was last Saturday in one of the auto shop rooms.  Pati Fairchild, autobody instructor, ran the workshop,    aimed to get women into the automotive profession.

Other upcoming events celebrating Women’s History Month include a “Women’s Wall of Fame Ceremony,” a book discussion on “The Help” with the novel’s writer Kathryn Stockett, a hat fashion show, and the unveiling of the 2011 “Women of Distinction Award”.  

All events will be in the Alondra Room on campus.  Dates and  more information about these events can be found online at http://www.elcamino.edu/events/whm2011.asp