Honoring women: New York City to dedicate 4 new memorials to those who made a difference
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Four new memorials will be dedicated to New York women who made a difference in civil rights, health care and public policy.
Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlane McCray unveiled plans on Wednesday for the new memorials.
Monuments will be made for singer Billie Holiday, civil rights pioneer Elizabeth Jennings Graham, women's rights activist Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias and Katherine Walker who tended the Robbins Reef Lighthouse in New York Harbor for more than 30 years.
Years before Rosa Parks, Graham took a stand on a New York streetcar.
"When the conductor asked her to leave, she refused and boldly stood her ground until she was dragged away," McCray said. "She went on to sue the Third Avenue Railway Company and won her lawsuit, paving the way for desegregation of all transportation in New York City."
The city had previously announced Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, will get a statue in Prospect Park.
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