IQ/ID

🌸 Our first woman’s history month feature is Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink (1927-2002), the first Asian-American to serve in congress and to run for U.S. President. Born in Paia, , Patsy made sure to stay connected to the needs and concerns of the Hawaiian people while serving twelve terms in congress. In addition, she advocated for gender and racial equality, affordable childcare, and bilingual education. Her notable achievement, the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act (Title IX), broke down barriers and ensured that no one could be excluded from any education program or activity based on their gender. 📚 We are so thankful for her dedication and want to honor her advocacy.

✌️Stay tuned next week for another Women's History Month feature



Colleges Attended: Wilson College, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Hawaii at Manoa, The University of Chicago Law School, The University of Chicago

Biography: Patsy Mink. (n.d.). Biography: Patsy Mink. https://hubs.la/Q02lzGfZ0

Wu, J. T., & Mink, G. (2022, June 1). How Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color in Congress, helped craft Title IX. TIME. https://hubs.la/Q02lzBb80

James Baldwin (1924-1987) writer and playwright most known for his works that explored racial and social issues during the civil rights movement such as “Go Tell it on the Mountain”, “Notes of a Native Son” and “The Fire Next Time”. He also broke ground when writing about taboo subjects such as homosexuality and in*******al relationships from his lived experiences. TIME magazine featured James on the cover in 1963 and stated, "There is not another writer — white or Black — who expresses with such poignancy and abrasiveness the dark realities of the racial ferment in North and South."

Wanting to reach a wide array of audiences, James wrote plays such as “Blues for Mister Charlie” to bring awareness to the racially motivated murder of Emmet Till which debuted on Broadway in 1964. The weight of despair from the ever tense racial situation began to weigh on James, but he continued writing poetry and essays to describe the impact of race on American culture. Teaching at University of Massachusetts Press and Hampshire College allowed Baldwin to further share his experiences and inspire future authors.

How has James Balwin’s literature impacted your life? We would love to hear from you!



James Baldwin. (2023, December 28). Biography. https://hubs.la/Q02mtkn20