Menu
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.
NEW
Andrea and Teresa Villarreal
Labor and Women's Rights Activists
NEW
Margarita Huantes
Pioneer in Literacy Education
NEW
Beatrice Gallego
Community activist and COPS President
NEW
Lydia Mendoza
Pioneer Tejana Recording Artist
NEW
María R. L. de Hernández
Radio Announcer and Civil Rights activist
NEW
Romana Ramos
Midwife and Businesswoman
NEW
Beatriz Escalona
Pioneer of Mexicana women in theater
NEW
Carolina Malpica Munguía
Community and education activist
NEW
Emma Tenayuca
Social justice, labor and education activist
NEW
Jovita Idár
Teacher, journalist and political activist
NEW
Sebastiana Ramirez Rodríguez
Community and church activist
NEW
Dolores Solis
Beloved Madrina and Owner of Blanca Molino
NEW
Maria del Refugio Ernst
Leader of the Cigar Makers Strikes
NEW
Carmen Tafolla
Author, Speaker, Performance Artist
NEW
Manuela Solís Sager
Labor organizer and social justice activist
NEW
Nickie Valdez
Social Justice Activist for the LGBTQ and Catholic Community
NEW
Anita Janet Cortez
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music
NEW
Beatriz Llamas
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music
NEW
Cecilia Sánchez Moreno
Neighborhood and education activist
NEW
Eva Garza
Pioneer of Mexicana women in theater
NEW
María Antonietta Berriozábal
Community, environment, and housing activist
NEW
SHARE YOUR STORY
NEW
Gloria G. Rodriguez
Founder, Former National President and CEO of AVANCE
NEW
Sophie Gonzales
Leader of the Tex-Son Strike
NEW
Josephine Mancha
Librarian and lifetime PTA member
NEW
Mary Agnes Rodríguez
Mixed Media Artist and Social Justice Activist
NEW
Olivia Sánchez Zamarripa
Social justice, labor, and political activist
NEW
Arcadia Hernández López
Bilingual Education Pioneer
NEW
Blanca Rosa Rodríguez
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music
NEW
Emilia Sánchez
Community activist, "Kelly Katie"
NEW
Isabel Casillas Sánchez
Neighborhood and Education Activist
NEW
Rita Vidaurri
Pioneer of Mexicana women in music