Patsy Mink's resilience, courage and innovative spirit to promote equity inspires us to continue taking action so that everyone can access the same opportunities.
Crocus Day 2024 is April 8 – the second Monday in April. This year's celebration is dedicated to Patsy Mink, a political trailblazer, the first woman of color elected to the US Congress, and a strong voice of her time.
Patsy Mink was the co-author of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act, which banned gender-based discrimination by all federally-funded schools and educational programs. She was also instrumental in introducing progressive legislation that promoted federal child care, bilingual education, special education student loans, and more.
Because of the discrimination she felt as both a woman and an Asian-American, she dedicated her career to removing barriers and creating opportunities for marginalized groups.
"We have to build things that we want to see accomplished, in life and in our country, based on our own personal experiences to make sure that others do not have to suffer the same discrimination." – Patsy Mink (October 8, 1975) This year, Crocus chooses to celebrate Patsy Mink as a woman who constantly defied the status quo and positioned herself in places where no woman of color had been before. She used the spotlight and her political power to make positive changes in the lives of women, children, migrants, Asian Americans, and many more.
Celebrate her life's work with us and learn more about Patsy Mink at these sites (among many):
To learn more about her achievements: https://exhibits.stanford.edu/riseup/feature/patsy-mink
To know more about her life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8icOtKYmxs&ab_channel=PBSHawai%CA%BBi
To dig into her story: https://history.house.gov/People/detail/18329
To learn about her statue located near the Hawaii State Public Library: https://sfca.hawaii.gov/patsy-t-mink-at-the-hawaii-state-library/
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