This year’s theme will be “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion”
By KATELIN PANG — city@theaggie.org
In a Yolo County press release on Feb. 14, it was announced that the annual Yolo County Women’s History Month celebration will take place on Saturday, March 2. The celebration will be hosted in Woodland at the Gibson House property at 512 Gibson Rd. and will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The 34th Yolo County Women’s History Month celebration is open to the public and free of charge offering a variety of different speeches and speakers from all over the county, giving women an opportunity to connect with those who are honored in the community.
According to the announcement, the Yolo County Women’s History Month Committee (YCWHM) also introduced this year’s theme, “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.”
Speakers include Tessa Smith and Dr. Dawnte Early. Both women are strong leaders in their communities for influential progress toward issues of race, inclusion and equal opportunity within businesses and legislative bodies.
Smith, the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, has advocated to raise awareness of racial disparity within criminal justice, government assistance and health.
“[Smith] has worked as Chair of the Yolo County Multi-Cultural Community Council (MCCC), a group that advises the District Attorney’s office on community and race issues,” the press release reads.
Early is a West Sacramento City Councilmember and CEO of United Way California Capital Region. She helps lead engagement within her community to create a strong need for gender equality. She is also an active leader in the Department of Health in Yolo County.
“Before United Way, she was a leader at the Department of Public Health and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission,” the Yolo County Women’s History Month Committee website reads.
As for the Davis community, Jenny Tan, the director for community Engagement in Davis, said the city of Davis does not currently have anything planned for Women’s History Month.
“We do not have anything planned for Women’s Day on March 8,” Tan said. “We may do a social media post.”
Tan also said that she plans to take celebratory photos of the staff and that more than half of city leadership in Davis are women.
“The post will go up on March 8. I’m hoping to have two photos, one of women staff at the city and another of the women department heads. More than half of the leadership at the city of Davis are women.”
The Yolo County Women’s History Month Committee is a non-profit organization that annually plans this event to showcase women’s successes and to applaud those serving their community. Many community members appreciate bringing friends, family and women of importance to this event every year.
“I have attended the luncheons for several years,” Jim Brewer, a past event attendee, said. “My mother, though she did not have the opportunity to attend college, was an independent woman who was very interested in the history and culture of her family and her community. It is encouraging to see that spirit continue, not only in the women of my family but also in our Yolo County community.”
Written by: Katelin Pang — city@theaggie.org
