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Women & Activism in the Westside
This exhibit was launched on August 26, 2020, to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which legalized women’s right to vote. As this exhibit grows, we continue to gather and share the stories of women activists in the Westside. Women who march and rally for social change. Women who fight against racism and injustice. Women who serve their communities through organizing church tamaladas, circulating petitions and speaking out at city council meetings. Women who lead school PTAs and share their homes with families displaced by flooded neighborhoods. Women who celebrate their cultural identity and challenge male-dominated industries. Politicians, neighborhood activists, educators, labor leaders, journalists, writers, musicians and visual artists. Women who intentionally work toward the change they wish to see and act on what they believe. Women who are remembered by their daughters and granddaughters, and women who are vital members of la comunidad del Westside.
Explore these stories of women activists in the Westside.
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Andrea Villarreal and Teresa Villarreal
Labor and Women's Rights Activists
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Margarita Huantes
Pioneer in Literacy Education
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Beatrice Gallego
Community activist and COPS President
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Lydia Mendoza
Pioneer Tejana Recording Artist
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María R. L. de Hernández
Radio Announcer and Civil Rights activist
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Romana Ramos
Midwife and Businesswoman
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Beatriz Escalona
Pioneer of Mexicana women in theater
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Carolina Malpica Munguía
Community and education activist
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Emma Tenayuca
Social justice, labor and education activist
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Jovita Idár
Teacher, journalist and political activist
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Sebastiana Ramirez Rodríguez
Community and church activist
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Dolores Solis
Beloved Madrina and Owner of Blanca Molino
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Maria del Refugio Ernst
Leader of the Cigar Makers Strikes
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Carmen Tafolla
Author, Speaker, Performance Artist
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Manuela Solís Sager
Labor organizer and social justice activist
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Nickie Valdez
Social Justice Activist for the LGBTQ and Catholic Community
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Anita Janet Cortez
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music
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Beatriz Llamas
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music
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Cecilia Sánchez Moreno
Neighborhood and education activist
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Eva Garza
Pioneer of Mexicana women in theater
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María Antonietta Berriozábal
Community, environment, and housing activist
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SHARE YOUR STORY
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Gloria G. Rodriguez
Founder, Former National President and CEO of AVANCE
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Sophie Gonzales
Leader of the Tex-Son Strike
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Josephine Mancha
Librarian and lifetime PTA member
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Mary Agnes Rodríguez
Mixed Media Artist and Social Justice Activist
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Olivia Sánchez Zamarripa
Social justice, labor, and political activist
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Arcadia Hernández López
Bilingual Education Pioneer
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Blanca Rosa Rodríguez
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music
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Emilia Sánchez
Community activist, "Kelly Katie"
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Isabel Casillas Sánchez
Neighborhood and Education Activist
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Rita Vidaurri
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music