Women’s History Month: Celebrating the women who shaped Syracuse
Women’s History Month: Five women who shaped Syracuse
Ever since Congress acknowledged the official celebration of women’s history month 41 years ago in 1981, people around the country honor and commemorate women’s achievements and historical contributions throughout the month of March. This year, a number of different local organizations have highlighted the accomplishments of Syracuse women throughout history, such as the Matilda Joslyn Gage House and the Onondaga Historical Association.
Within the greater Syracuse area, many women throughout history have left lasting legacies and made their marks on the city. From activists to philanthropists to pioneers, here are five Syracuse women who broke barriers and notably impacted the community around them.
Anna Short Harrington
Anna Short Harrington was born in 1897 and is best known for her portrayal of Aunt Jemima. During her time in Central New York, Harrington cooked for a number of fraternity houses at Syracuse University. In 1935, she was cooking pancakes at the New York State Fair when representatives of the Quaker Oats Company asked Harrington if she wanted to be the face of Aunt Jemima. Harrington accepted, allowing her to travel across the country and become a household persona. Though there is controversy over whether Harrington was adequately paid by Quaker Oats, as well as the brand’s perpetuation of the “mammy” caricature, she used her earnings to care for her children and rent out rooms to Syracuse boarders.
Karen L. DeCrow
Karen L. DeCrow was born in 1937 and served as a prominent activist and civil rights lawyer who dedicated her life to gender equality. In 1967, DeCrow joined the National Organization for Women (NOW) after she and her female co-workers realized they were underpaid compared to their male counterparts. She went on to co-found the Syracuse chapter of NOW and later became the organization’s president in 1974. During her time as president, DeCrow helped lead national campaigns in support of the Equal Rights Amendment and fought against gender discrimination in education and sports. DeCrow was also the first woman in New York State to run for mayor in 1969. Despite the unsuccessful run in Syracuse, DeCrow went on to receive a degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 1972 and graduated as the only woman in her class.
Matilda Joslyn Gage
Born in 1826 in Cicero, New York, Matilda Joslyn Gage was an abolitionist and women’s suffrage activist. Gage’s home in Fayetteville, New York, was a station on the Underground Railroad and throughout her life she fought for the antislavery movement, organizing supplies for Union soldiers. Gage then became involved with the women’s suffrage movement, establishing herself as a prominent speaker at the third national Woman’s Rights Convention held in Syracuse in 1852. Gage, alongside prominent suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association, where she held leadership positions and bravely spoke out in support of women’s right to vote.
Ruth Johnson Colvin
Philanthropist Ruth Johnson Colvin was born in 1916 and devoted her life to improving literacy rates throughout the country, stemming from her passion for reading and learning about the world. After reading an alarming statistic from the U.S. Census in 1961 regarding the number of illiterate people in Syracuse, Colvin founded Literacy Volunteers of America from her basement. The community-based organization helped tutor adults and developed literacy manuals. The program expanded throughout the state and, eventually, throughout the country. In 2002, Literacy Volunteers of America merged with Laubach Literacy International and became ProLiteracy. ProLiteracy has served hundreds of thousands of students nationwide and is still based in Syracuse today.
Sarah Loguen Fraser
Dr. Sarah Loguen Fraser was born in 1850 in Syracuse, New York, to abolitionists Reverend Jermain Wesley Loguen and Caroline Loguen. Reverend Wesley, who had escaped slavery in 1834, started the first school for Black children in the Syracuse area. The family’s home was a safe house for around 1,500 fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad, where Fraser was able to gain experience helping those who were injured and sick. Fraser then went on to enroll in the Syracuse University College of Medicine, and in 1876 she graduated as the first woman to receive her medical degree from SUNY Upstate and the fourth Black woman doctor in the country.
