Local group honors the 100 Notable Women of Fresno with exhibit, upcoming event
I’ve never met Gloria Watts, but I want to thank her for her recent letter to the editor praising the 100 Notable Women of Fresno program. This exhibit and presentation was developed by the Suffrage Centennial Committee of the League of Women Voters of Fresno to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women receiving the right to vote in April of 1920.
The committee began meeting in 2019 to plan a series of events in honor of the occasion, and was able to present a number of them before the pandemic shut down our world. The exhibit includes a series of eight large poster boards containing photographs and short biographies of the 100 Notable Women. The photographs were taken mostly by Fresno’s “Photo Laureate” Howard K. Watkins, although some were contributed and a few were researched from various archives.
The committee easily came up with many more than 100 names, but we decided to limit the number and try for diversity in career, ethnicity, race and age. As we nominated the women, we divided them into professional categories: the arts, education, media, law, community activist, health, sports, business, agriculture and government.
Although we couldn’t go through with our original plans for having a gala reception and exhibit at the Madden Library in April 2020, we were able to have our first showing and event at the Fresno Art Museum in October, 2021 in that brief joyful space when COVID 19 seemed to be somewhat under control and the Omicron variant had not yet reared its head. The posters were on display on stage at the museum for a month, and a spectacular event was held when about 20 of the Notable Women were in attendance, along with numerous members of the public.
Elizabeth Laval, one of the 100 Women, was our main speaker. As president of the Fresno Historical Society, she made a presentation about women’s roles in early Fresno history. Speaking to the audience about their experiences were Diane Milutinovich, retired Title IX director from Fresno State; Mary Curry; west Fresno community activist; Juanita Stevenson, media personality who focuses on education and family issues; Armen Bacon, a local writer; and Dr. Carol Goldsmith, then president of Fresno City College and now chancellor of the State Center Community College District.
It was a moving experience to learn of their personal and professional journeys and the special hurdles that these remarkable women have had to overcome. Each of the Notable Women who attended received a smaller version of the poster containing her photo and bio.
The March 8 event referred to by Ms. Watts was a collaboration between the Fresno County Library and the League. We co-sponsored a month-long poster exhibit at the downtown library and held a virtual event to explain the project and again feature four speakers: Luisa Medina, community activist from Central California Legal Services; Dr. Venise Curry, speaking in behalf of her mother, Mary Curry; Dr. Jackie Ryle, retired Fresno City Clerk; and Juanita Stephenson. That virtual event was recorded and is available on YouTube on the League of Women Voters of Fresno’s website.
We are finally going to get our wish to present the event with our partner, the Madden Library, but in a scaled-down version, at 3 p.m. on May 4. Students and faculty, as well as the public, can see the posters on display for several weeks on the library’s second floor. The event, however, will be held in the library’s elegant Ellipse. We hope to attract students and faculty as well as the public. Again, four of the Notable Women will talk about their careers, including Juanita Stevenson, Luisa Medina, Elizabeth Laval and retired Judge Jane Cardoza, the first Latina to serve as a judge in Fresno County Superior Court.
Each person attending any of these events has received a booklet containing all of the 100 biographies. Again at the Madden Library these will be available and light refreshments will be served. There is no charge and no reservation is required.
Our exhibit is always on the lookout for display opportunities. if you would like to have it travel to your space for an event with speakers, please contact me. Or if you have a permanent space available, only eight easels are needed to display these colorful and interesting boards, or they can be wall mounted., We will be happy to let them occupy a public space where Fresno residents and visitors can enjoy them and learn about the history of some of our city’s Notable Women.
This story was originally published April 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM.