A panel of prominent New York Women gathered in Seneca Falls Wednesday to mark the 174th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention where the women’s rights movement was born. Executive Director of the National Women’s Hall of Fame Jennifer Gabriel set the stage:
"One hundred women and men gathered across the canal at the Wesleyan Chapel and they signed the declaration of sentiments. This important document spoke to the civil, social, political, and religious rights of women."
The panel was led by state inspector general Lucy Lang, and they covered a wide range of topics, from voting rights and domestic violence, to indigenous women and reproductive rights in the wake of the supreme court decision. Tamar Carroll is chair of the department of history at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She provided some historical perspective.
"In general, historical evidence shows that not just in the United States, but throughout the world, that women have always sought to control their reproduction. And, when abortion is made a crime, women will die from illegal abortions. We know that this has happened in the past, and unfortunately, we know it is going to happen now in the United States because of the supreme court decision overturning Roe."
In the spirit of the 1848 convention, the panelists also discussed the small things people can do each day to push for change. Judge Kathie Davidson recently noticed a man with a large sign acknowledging Harriet Tubman’s 200th birthday.
"He said, 'I'm walking in her shoes.' He started in Philadelphia, was coming through New York, he was in Harlem and walking through New Rochelle where I saw him on my walk, and was going up to Canada. He said 'I needed to feel what she felt.' I thought that was really powerful at this moment that we're in."
Davidson says it’s important to build on the legacy of Harriet Tubman and so many others to avoid losing momentum.
