Greetings NNOA Family and Friends,

In 1987 the United States Congress designated March as National Women’s History Month.  This creates a special opportunity for our communities and organizations to recognize and celebrate the often overlooked astounding accomplishments of American Women.  I remember taking my nine year old daughter and her best friend to see the movie ‘Hidden Figures’ last year.  The true story of  ‘Hidden Figures’ and the women who crunched numbers for NASA open their preadolescent eyes to the reality of possibilities right here in the Hampton Roads community.  The 2018 National Women’s History theme honors women who have shaped America’s history and its future through their tireless commitment to ending discrimination against women and girls.  Our girls are learning and growing in an unprecedented time where opportunities to change the culture, and challenge gender roles in a safe and supportive  environment is not only absolutely necessary it is critical to our future.  We are charged to make our world a better place and leave the Earth better for future generations.  The reality is that in order for Women to be successful and have full support in our society, good, Godly men have to rally support for all women.  What made the movie ‘Hidden Figures’ magical for my little girls was not only seeing three African-American Women celebrated for their academic abilities, and grit while also maintaining a family. These women were not relegated as sexualized objects, they portrayed history as it was.  Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson are forever she-roes for little girls whose dreams are beyond Earth’s atmosphere.  May we continue to lift up the National Women’s History Month theme honoring women who have shaped America’s history and its future through their tireless commitment to ending discrimination against women and girls.

Rev. Kimberly Cain, NNOA Chaplain