Remembering our roots in women’s history
As young women, we started our careers in government during the sexual revolution, the time period between the 1960s and the 1980s marked by sexual liberation.
The social movement challenged traditional codes of behavior – it energized a generation of women to question gender roles and pursue new opportunities.
All of this was happening alongside monumental victories in civil rights. Our country and our region were engaging in a progressive dialogue concerning race, gender, and their intersection. It was this energy and climate that would propel women like us forward, into leadership positions, and put us on a path to hold the elected offices we have today.
But before that, more than 100 years prior to the sexual revolution, our country, and specifically our region was the epicenter of a movement focused on suffrage efforts for women and people of color. Rochester was home to heroes of this movement boasting historical revolutionaries such as Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.
The tireless work of countless people to advance female, minority and under-represented populations have made it so that our region is blessed to enjoy diverse representation throughout all levels of government: a United States senator, a senior member of Congress, New York State’s Lieutenant Governor, and locally our county and city are led by female executives. The Rochester City Council, the governing body on which we sit, has a female president and a majority membership of women. In addition, women are represented in our towns and villages as supervisors and board members alike.
Our city and our region have been the genesis of transformational dialogue and action that moved the needle forward on many progressive issues. Even today, the City of Rochester is among the leading municipalities in the country with regard to effective policy relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; we are a city born in progress and equality.
We are a city that remembers our roots and celebrates them; we honor those who have come before us. The month of March is Women’s History Month, and we will honor the work of the suffragist who occupied 17 Madison Street by dedicating a room in City Hall as The Susan B. Anthony Room.
The soon-to-be Susan B. Anthony Room is located behind City Council Chambers in City Hall. This room is the office of Council member Carolee Conklin, and it contains two historic portraits of Ms. Anthony. We know that Susan B. Anthony would be pleased to see how far women have come, but we also know that even amid the praise she would encourage us all to, “go on with the work.”
Loretta Scott is president of the City Council and Carolee Conklin is City Council finance chairwoman.