Statue Honoring Women At Forefront Of Suffrage Movement Unveiled In Central Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- On Women's Equality Day, a new statue, the first of its kind, was unveiled in Central Park, exactly a century after women gained the right to vote.
It's being called the breaking of the "Bronze Ceiling." The new monument, located along the mall and literary walk, pays tribute to three women who were pioneers of in the women's suffrage movement.
It was officially unveiled Wednesday morning.
"The first statue of real non-fictional women, the first statue of an African-American, and, significantly, a statute that depicts three great Americans working together," Hillary Clinton said.
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Those women -- Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth -- all fought for women's right to vote. and died before it happened.
But their story is still very much alive for this next generation.
"Her name was Elle before Sojourner Truth and she changed her name when she got freed from slavery," a girl named Norah said.
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"To see the statue is very important for me because I am in love with history," Ruby Vasquez said.
And that history repeats itself.
"Ironic that in 1920 it passed. In 1918 there was a pandemic. Everybody had to wear masks. Everybody had to march and there was a war. Here we are in 2020. We have to wear masks. We are in a pandemic. We had to march in the streets," Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said.
Officials said there are 23 statues of men in Central Park, but these are the first three women, chosen for their ties to the city, park, and their legacy.
"I love that the first statue of women is three women working together, because I tell her all the time. That's what women are good at. Women are really good at working together," Jodie Toresdahl said.
The statue, created by Meredith Bergmann, comes with stories. You can a QR code and access audio narrations by female leaders and actors, each sharing women's history in New York City.
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