NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – City Hall announced Thursday that it will address the significant gender disparity in public statues by continuing the installation of four new statues honoring women, noting that currently, out of 150 statues across New York City, only eight represent women.
The project, She Built NYC, launched in 2018, was a city initiative to address the underrepresentation of women in public art by commissioning five monuments across all boroughs to honor women's history in the city.
In 2023, the design for Shirley Chisholm's monument in Brooklyn's Prospect Park was approved, honoring her as the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968.
The design for Shirley Chisholm's monument in Brooklyn's Prospect Park was approved in 2023.City of New York
Mayor Eric Adams announced the revival of the project—which had been stalled due to COVID-19—to build four monuments in honor of Billie Holiday, Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías, Elizabeth Jennings Graham, and Katherine Walker.
An open call for artists to design the statues has been launched, with the project set to honor Trías in the Bronx, Graham in Manhattan, Holiday in Queens, and Walker on Staten Island.
"These extraordinary women saved lives, challenged racial and gender barriers, and overcame all odds to become leaders in each of their respective fields," Adams said. "Today, I'm proud that their legacy will forever be enshrined through public monuments across the five boroughs — open to all New Yorkers to see, learn, and understand their impact on our city."
This announcement comes as President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday to enhance the National Park Service's recognition of women's history, aiming to increase the representation of women's history at sites across America and honor the legacy and contributions of women and girls to the U.S.
The monuments will be funded by the city's "Percent for Art" program through the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), which allocates 1 percent of its budget to public art. Artists interested in the project can find detailed submission instructions on the artist submission website.
"For far too long, women and their contributions to our society have been excluded from history, but the She Built NYC initiative brings visibility and recognition to women who have helped to transform our city," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.
Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías (1929-2001) - Bronx
Trías was an advocate for reproductive rights, HIV/AIDS care, and the health of women and children, especially in underserved communities. She was also the first Latinx to direct the American Public Health Association and the medical director of New York State's AIDS Institute, earning the Presidential Citizen's Medal for her contributions. The monument will be located at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx.
Elizabeth Jennings Graham (1827–1901) - Manhattan
A schoolteacher, Graham, made history by challenging racial segregation on a New York City streetcar in 1854. At 24, she was forcibly removed from a streetcar that refused service to African Americans. Her resistance led to a lawsuit against the Third Avenue Railroad Company, the conductor, and the driver, resulting in a groundbreaking verdict affirming equal rights and awarding her $225. This case initiated the end of transit segregation in the city, with all streetcar lines open to African Americans by 1860. Graham also established the city's first kindergarten for Black children. Her monument will be placed near the site of her historic stand against segregation.
Billie Holiday (1915-1959) - Queens
Eleanora Fagan Gough, known as "Billie" Holiday, holds a special place in jazz history as one of its most famous singers. Her career not only shaped the jazz scene in New York but also broke racial barriers, with her becoming the first Black woman to perform with a white orchestra. Her rendition of "Strange Fruit," a poignant cry against lynching, was covered by Time Magazine as the "song of the century." Holiday's legacy is celebrated with numerous Grammy Awards and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her monument will be placed at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center.
Katherine Walker (1838-1931) - Staten Island
For 35 years, Walker manned the Robbins Reef Lighthouse in Staten Island, saving at least 50 lives and guiding countless ships through the perilous waters of Kill Van Kull. A rare female lighthouse keeper in U.S. history, she navigated a male-dominated profession with grace, even as she raised her children in the lighthouse, ensuring their education by rowing them to Staten Island for school.
Her monument will be a part of the new developments on Staten Island's North Shore, a project led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Plans for a monument honoring LGBTQ+ activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in Manhattan were also announced, with further details and next steps to be shared at a later date.
