“Add Women and Stir....”

We’re at the end of February/beginning of March…. It’s the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month….

There have been some terrific commemorations of African-American fencers. The work of USA Fencing this year on its social feeds and DEIB Resource page, and the video posted by the USFCA, are amazing examples.

We considered reposting our “6 Black Women Fencers You Ought to Know About” from two years ago – it was good work and bears repeating.

At the same time, African-American or Women’s history is more than a month long… and we are dedicated a full-year’s worth of recognition. Something more than “add women and stir” – a term of art from women’s history for when one or two examples of exceptional people are added to the narrative to "expand" it, instead of changing the narrative itself. Kind of like having one female national coach at a time – each deserving of recognition – but not restructuring the system that makes it hard to become a female national coach in the first place and where having just one seems like a big damn deal.