MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WTVF) — Even if they don't have a classroom, some people are just born teachers. One group is taking Women's History Month as a chance to share some under-told stories.
Open the door, and there's a face you immediately see. It's a poster of Rosie the Riveter, that iconic image from the era of World War II.
Learn more about these unsung women in the player above.
"When men went to war, the women went to work," said Sandra McMullin Bennett at the Joanna Lewis Museum of Coffee County History. "They took over the jobs of the men."
"This is our big board on the Tennessee Suffrage Movement," she continued, showing another space of pictures and captions.
Sandra has played a major role in collecting pictures and stories of important Tennessee women. All of this is part of the Coffee County Historical Society's exhibit for Women's History Month. It's sharing history in a place that is history. The museum is in the old courthouse in downtown Manchester since the 1870s.
What Sandra hopes happens is when people stop in, they learn about a trailblazer.
"Her name is Peggie Northcutt," Sandra said, showing another display. "In 1951, she was a reporter with her own column for the Tullahoma News and Guardian. It was just snapshots of things going on in the Black community. You didn't see white women having a column, let alone a Black woman having a column. I just think she's marvelous."
"Alline Bates Sprouse," Sandra continued, moving to another display. "She had hurt her right arm as they were in a playoff game. They taped it down, and she used her left hand to play basketball, and she scored 52 points. She's now in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame."
"This is Edmonia Hill Murray," Sandra said at yet another display. "She owned the first Black woman-owned business in Manchester. She started her own catering company. Just a beautiful young woman."
All these women are of different eras. They had different jobs, but Sandra said they all have a bit of that spirit of Rosie the Riveter. Sandra has a chance to make sure they all get their flowers.
"We wanted them to know about the women locally, right here in our state, in our community, that made differences, that opened doors, that broke the glass ceiling, that did something spectacular," said Sandra. "I think we succeeded."
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
