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 Contact: Marilyn Katz, 312-822-0505, mkatz@mkcpr.com

Women Honored as Chicago Social Justice Pioneers

24 honorees selected to design exhibit of their personal story to be placed on exhibit

June XX, 2003, Chicago— Throughout Chicago there are over 360 monuments to men. To date, there is only one sculpture in the city of Chicago dedicated to a woman for her contribution to public life; that woman is Jane Addams.

Why so little public recognition when numerous Chicago women have committed their lives to improving the conditions of disadvantaged and oppressed groups? For decades, many Chicago-area women have been social justice pioneers in various Chicago communities, fighting for education, healthcare, or employment, fighting to eliminate bias on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, or disability. They have dedicated their lives to shaping values, raising families, and promoting social change.

A local group of women leaders recently decided it was long overdue that women be honored for their legacy of social justice. So they selected 24 living Chicago women to be honored as Justice Pioneers.  From activists to elected representative, artists to historians, women of all different ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds, these Chicago leaders include: Dr. Rev. Willie Barrow, Marca Bristo, Rev. Bliss Browne, Iva Carruthers, Patty Crowley O.S.B., Patricia Crowley, Josie Opena Disterhoft, Sunny Fischer, Jacky Grimshaw, Ronne Hartfield, Bette Cerf Hill, Mary Houghton, Jean Hunt, Indira Johnson, Sheila Lyne, Eva Maddox, Aurie Pennick, Sylvia Puente, Hedy M. Ratner, Jan Schakowsky, Diann Deweese Smith, Alaka Wali, Bernarda Wong, Rev. Addie Wyatt. The criteria for their selection included their commitment to improving conditions for disadvantaged or oppressed groups and to empowering their communities, and the fact that they are risk-takers, creating or leading a new vision and exploring new territory. In addition, they lead exemplary lives outside of career and public activities, dedicated to family and to religious or spiritual institutions and have been role models who can inspire others to socially just missions and achievements.

Each woman has been invited to create a unique installation that tells the story of her life. Each has been invited to create her installation in partnership with local artists and designers. These inspiring exhibits—created from notebooks and journals, photographs, posters, works of art—testify to the values, struggles, and achievements of these advocates for labor, health, employment, economic opportunity, education, interfaith unity, and social inclusion. They make visible the vital connections between personal values and public action, and how women think about and express their devotion to improving public life. 

There are many women in Chicago who have contributed to the social justice legacy in Chicago,” commented Patricia Novick, the initiator of this project.  “What makes these honorees special is their character. It’s not just all of the wonderful work they do, but what they have to give as humans that makes these women stand out. These are all women I would want my daughters to know and look up to as role models.”

The project has already brought that connection alive for 20 young women who volunteered to interview the honorees and document their stories for the exhibition and for the women’s leadership archives at the Gannon Center at Loyola University Chicago. As one young interviewer, Amanda Kreiss said, “ this has been such an inspirational bridge for us.  What a blessing to be nourished by the passions and stories of women.  What an answer to so many prayers!”

On Sunday, June 22, Women Alive: A Legacy of Social Justice, will open to the public at Archeworks, 625 North Kingsbury (at Ontario Street). Hours of the exhibit will be Saturday-Monday, 12-6p.m., Tuesday’s from 12-8 p.m., scheduled special events and guest speakers will be held on Sunday’s at 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. The exhibit will run through Sunday, August 24. There will be a series of special lectures, discussions, poetry, music, and performances in connection with the exhibit.  These special events are designed to raise vital questions about public life, and to bring awareness to the distinctive ways women think about and advance social justice.

Other cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington D.C. are already catching the idea. Groups there are beginning to plan to honor justice pioneers who have made their contribution in those communities sometime in the near future. “It is our hope that this unique exhibit will challenge people’s thinking about the roles of women and raise up a new generation of pioneers,” stated Jean Hunt, an honoree and exhibit coordinator.

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