September 2019 Birthdays

Margaret Sanger
September 14, 1879 to September 6, 1966

Autonomy is a right that most in the western world take for granted, however in terms of biological autonomy it is something that the United States tends to be inconsistent about. In parts of the country abortion and contraceptives are either denied or punishable (abortion mostly) to any that seek them. While the former should not be considered as an option for birth control it is still a right that should be granted to those who do not wish to have a child. This is a struggle that dates to the 19th-20th century with ladies like Margaret Sanger who fought hard for the rights of women to be able to control their own bodies in terms of reproduction. In terms of modern history Ms. Sanger should be considered a legend and a reason to continue fighting for the rights of women’s reproductive rights. She was the reason for Sexual Education classes and the proper use of contraceptive and led the fight to end “back ally” abortions (an issue that may be again a reality). It was her work that contraceptives became legal in the United States. Sanger had also done a lot of work for Black Americans, opening the first Clinic in Harlem. ​

Megan Leslie
September 29, 1973 to Present 

A former Member of the Canadian Parliament, Megan Leslie has been an active advocate for the issues of the modern day. This includes issues on healthcare, LGBT rights, and environmental concerns. After gaining her law degree she joined the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service where she became a legal advocate for the impoverished members of Halifax. Her political career began when shewas elected to the deputy leadership of New Democratic Party in 2012, where she served till 2015. In this position she worked for both environmental and health improvements. At the end of her political career she continued her advocacy in other countries, this included the LGBT community and gaining them the right to gender reassignment surgery supplemented by the government ​​in Nova Scotia. Leslie continues her advocacy work to this day.

Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat (Marquis de Condorcet)
September 17, 1743 to March 28, 1794 

A philosopher and mathematician Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat was a respected Frenchman of the enlightened era who spent much of his time preaching for the rights of all people despite race, gender, or social standing. Ideas he may as well have died for since during the period of the French Revolution he was arrested and found dead in his cell under “mysterious circumstances.” To this day the works of de Caritat hold relevance to the current events of our time, much of which includes race relations and the need for the divide between rich and poor to be balanced if not wholly eliminated. History shows that nothing that produces progression is done cleanly. It is a messy process that history shows that those who advocate for it had suffered for it to be a present idea in the modern period. The importance of course being that knowing the history of former activists and philosophers is an important aspect of understanding how to move forward as a species.  ​