By BRANDY HUFF
In the famous words of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Less well known, though, is that Ulrich’s words are commonly misinterpreted. Ulrich didn’t mean that women should misbehave to be memorable — rather, her original meaning was that well-behaved women should make history!
In this spirit, this October for Women’s History Month, let’s celebrate the women who inspire us, who have made a truly positive impact in our community and our city.
In big and small ways, these individuals are honouring those who have come before them: the pioneers who advocated for our right to vote, to own property and businesses, to be entitled to fair wages, pensions and equitable working environments, and so many more hard-won rights.
Let’s not forget that less than 60 years ago, a woman still needed a signature from her husband to open a bank account. We’ve come a long way, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
So each day in October, on the Beach Metro News website and on social media, I will be celebrating one “well-behaved” woman who makes history in Beaches-East York.
Together we can lift each other up, give credit where credit is due, continue the hard work of those who came before us, and set examples for generations to come.
Happy Women’s History Month to all — we see you, and we celebrate you!
Oct. 1st – Julie Middleton, Zippaport
Julie Middleton aims to make chemotherapy treatments a little easier for kids… one Zippaport shirt at a time.
Middleton founded the not-for-profit Zippaport while her four-year-old daughter, Sadie, was doing chemotherapy treatments for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Free of charge, Zippaport distributes shirts to any brave kid who requires chemo port access.
Middleton is an incredibly resilient member of our community, and her selflessness deserves to be celebrated.
You can show your support by spreading the word about Zippaport shirts or making a donation on her website at http://www.zippaport.ca
She can also be contacted on social media at @zippaportshirts
Please visit us online at https://beachmetro.com/ on Oct. 2 for a profile of another local resident for Women’s History Month.
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