Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Local celebrations and observances throughout March mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day

http://www.syracusenewtimes.com/newyork/article-4768-suffrage-succotash.html

Feature article in the Syracuse New Times by Tammy DiDomenico

“I think the way she lived her life should be celebrated by young people today,” Wagner says. “Matilda said the most important thing for a girl to do is to think for herself. Her parents taught her to question things, to be a critical thinker. I think that’s what would be at the core of Matilda’s message for all young people if she were her to mark this 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.”

Wagner says even in her time, Gage had the ability to think globally. “She helped organize the first International Council of Women in 1888, and she clearly had a vision of international feminism. Her vision did not stop at our borders.” And, although Gage died years before the first International Women’s Day, Wagner says the proto-feminist would have appreciated the observance. “She would applaud it, and she would say, ‘What took so long?’” In overseeing the restoration of the Gage house, which was also a station on the Underground Railroad, Wagner was determined to create not just a venue to display historical artifacts, but a place that would foster Gage’s legacy in a fluid way. “We’re feeling that the community needs a space where people can come together and talk in a safe environment,” she says.