Women of Diversity group helps put together history on state’s movers and shakers
From the pioneer women of the 1850s to the First Ladies of Nevada, women have made significant contributions to the Silver State’s prosperity. As part of an ongoing Nevada sesquicentennial celebration, the stories of these women have been documented to highlight their accomplishments.
The interviews were compiled by the nonprofit Women of Diversity Productions Inc. and archived into a book titled “Nevada Women’s Legacy – 150 Years of Excellence.”
“Women are under-recognized and quite often made to feel invisible, demeaned and exploited,” said Marlene Adrian, president of the nonprofit. “We don’t have a sense of environment in which society as a whole believes women are important or equal and given the same opportunities.”
Committee members of the project interviewed more than 200 women across the state to document the stories of women who made a difference between 1864 and 2014.
Members interviewed at least one woman from every county. Most of the interviewees have lived most of their lives in Nevada and represent the diversity of the state with respect to culture and ethnicity and are admired and play societal roles in their communities.
Among some of the women featured in the book are artists, authors, farmers, ranchers and lawyers.
In addition, the interviews are being filmed to use on the Internet, and a copy of the book is set to be donated to statewide libraries, school districts and museums.
This wasn’t Adrian’s first project of its kind. In 2005, the group compiled the histories of more than 250 women for Las Vegas’ centennial celebration.
The nonprofit was organized in 1992 to produce an international journal of research relative to women’s physical activity. Years later, it morphed to publish books and video documentaries focusing on topics such as parenting, golf and self-awareness.
Its mission is to “give women visibility by creating a woman who will be appreciated in the future,” according to its website, womenofdiversity.org.
There are now more than a dozen documentaries and four books available at public libraries and for purchase.
“The book doesn’t favor one part of the state more than another. It celebrates women from all walks of life,” said nonprofit advisory board member Denise R. Duarte. “It shows who we are and where we came from. It’s a lasting legacy not only to women but to our state as a whole.”
The nonprofit continues to recognize women through a quilt community project set to recognize women who have made a difference in Nevada. People can nominate women through Feb. 18.
The initial exhibition is set to be displayed from March 16 through April 1 in Carson City on the second floor of the state Senate Building, in the Atrium, as part of the Nevada Women’s Legacy exhibition.
“When we asked some of the women what their living legacy was, they said they couldn’t think of anything,” said Denise Gerdes, co-editor of the book. “The truth is they were so busy building towns and doing what had to be done that they never believed they were doing something worthy. If you read their stories, you’ll realize how much women helped build Nevada.”
For more information, contact Adrian at 702-655-2146 or adrianmjlv@gmail.com, or visit nevadawomensvirtualcenter.org.
Contact North View reporter Sandy Lopez at slopez@viewnews.com or 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.