Nov. 18 — Today in Women’s History

Nov. 18, 2024 — We are nearly two weeks past the 2024 election when Americans voted in Republican President Donald Trump, a Republican Senate, and a Republican Congress. While many women around the country are nervous about the future of women’s rights, today, we look back in history to share the birth of leaders who helped change the course of history.

  • Sojourner Truth: Abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner was born today in 1787.
  • Rose Knox (pictured right): One of America’s foremost businesswomen, the co-founder of the Knox Gelatin Co., was born today in 1857. She revolutionized the organization following her husband’s death, initiating a five-day workweek and two-week vacations.
  • Ana Mendieta: Born today in 1948, Ana was a refugee at age 12 when she fled the Cuban regime. Her trials and tribulations from her displacement affected her life’s work — art, which was pro-feminist and pro-nature. In 2009, Mendieta was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cintas Foundation.
  • Wilma Mankiller: A community organizer and the first woman elected to serve as chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma was born today in 1945. She served as principal chief for 10 years, from 1985 to 1995. She was the author of a national-bestselling autobiography, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, and co-authored Every Day Is a Good Day: Reflections by Contemporary Indigenous Women.
  • Learn more about why Our History Matters here: todayinwomenshistory.org

Today also marks the launch of our Blog for “The Uprising in Women in Philanthropy” series, which in addition to the book published in the fall of 2024, we are hosting a podcast and video series that provides another platform for conversations to raise awareness about the important women’s funding movement — its past and its future.

Coming next: Be on the lookout for excerpts from the book, important quotes and ideas you can implement in your own life, and updates on where the authors will be speaking so you can meet them in person.

I am honored to help spread the word about this project: As the owner of the PR + Publishing Company dedicated to raising the voices of women, it’s a privilege to share information about the work being done around the world by these 10 authors, and all the women that they work with. Follow us on this website, and on LinkedIn, to keep track of all that is yet to come. — Hope Katz Gibbs, InkandescentPR