Watching women take home gold medals and sparkling trophies from sporting competitions was not always as commonplace as it is in today's society. Like in many aspects of our culture, women throughout history struggled against prejudice and dealt with condescending male counterparts before reaching their place in the spotlight of athletics. Before Venus Williams volleyed her way to her fourth Grand Slam, Lucy Diggs Slowe proved African-American women could win titles alongside men. Before Danica Patrick raced past the finish line in the Indy Japan 300, Odette Siko helped to pave the racetrack for women in auto-racing. And Madge Syers was breaking rules and changing the course of figure skating history long before Michelle Kwan spiraled onto the ice. Their names may have been forgotten in history, outshined by men like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Muhammed Ali, but the legacies of women in sports live on today through their predecessors. The athletic women of history have stories filled with dramatic struggles, game-changing firsts, and historic victories. They deserve to be told.
It’s late at night, and a young man lies low in a boat. He has traveled from the Bahamas to the Hudson River just outside of New York City. Federal agents could be lurking the water nearby, so he’s careful not to make much noise. Is this man a dangerous criminal? Well, it depends on your perspective — he’s a 1920s teen who is supplying thirsty Americans with currently illegal alcohol produced overseas. After a constitutional amendment was passed in 1919, the sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages in the U.S. became illegal. But that didn’t stop anyone who wanted a beer or a shot of whiskey. Vast criminal networks soon developed across the country, from stills in remote towns in Pennsylvania to streets full of speakeasies — underground bars — in Chicago. Some people just wanted to enjoy a glass of wine or two with friends. Yet as the lawbreaking became more extensive and federal agents couldn’t keep up, the money involved increased. Violent mobsters saw Prohibition as a way to make a killing on illegal alcohol, and things turned dark fast. For the many adults who had supported Prohibition, there was a lot of handwringing. Concerned women and men who had watched men stumble out of seedy saloons in their hometowns, abuse their wives, and abandon their children had believed that prohibiting the sale of alcohol was the answer to many of America’s social ills. But, alarmed by the rampant lawbreaking, Americans — including those who had once supported Prohibition — soon rallied to end it.
It’s late at night, and a young man lies low in a boat. He has traveled from the Bahamas to the Hudson River just outside of New York City. Federal agents could be lurking the water nearby, so he’s careful not to make much noise. Is this man a dangerous criminal? Well, it depends on your perspective — he’s a 1920s teen who is supplying thirsty Americans with currently illegal alcohol produced overseas. After a constitutional amendment was passed in 1919, the sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages in the U.S. became illegal. But that didn’t stop anyone who wanted a beer or a shot of whiskey. Vast criminal networks soon developed across the country, from stills in remote towns in Pennsylvania to streets full of speakeasies — underground bars — in Chicago. Some people just wanted to enjoy a glass of wine or two with friends. Yet as the lawbreaking became more extensive and federal agents couldn’t keep up, the money involved increased. Violent mobsters saw Prohibition as a way to make a killing on illegal alcohol, and things turned dark fast. For the many adults who had supported Prohibition, there was a lot of handwringing. Concerned women and men who had watched men stumble out of seedy saloons in their hometowns, abuse their wives, and abandon their children had believed that prohibiting the sale of alcohol was the answer to many of America’s social ills. But, alarmed by the rampant lawbreaking, Americans — including those who had once supported Prohibition — soon rallied to end it.
Watching women take home gold medals and sparkling trophies from sporting competitions was not always as commonplace as it is in today's society. Like in many aspects of our culture, women throughout history struggled against prejudice and dealt with condescending male counterparts before reaching their place in the spotlight of athletics. Before Venus Williams volleyed her way to her fourth Grand Slam, Lucy Diggs Slowe proved African-American women could win titles alongside men. Before Danica Patrick raced past the finish line in the Indy Japan 300, Odette Siko helped to pave the racetrack for women in auto-racing. And Madge Syers was breaking rules and changing the course of figure skating history long before Michelle Kwan spiraled onto the ice. Their names may have been forgotten in history, outshined by men like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Muhammed Ali, but the legacies of women in sports live on today through their predecessors. The athletic women of history have stories filled with dramatic struggles, game-changing firsts, and historic victories. They deserve to be told.
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