March is Women’s History Month, and Connecticut has a rich past of inspirational figures.
Here are a few of the female nutmeggers who have made contributions to our state and country:
Adrianne Baughns-Wallace
Why: She was the first African-American television anchor in New England, and she’s a member of Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.
Quote: “Perhaps the biggest challenge in breaking new ground was to face the fear of failure every day. I showed up anyway and learned that everything that had ever happened to me in my life’s journey contributed to that moment in time.”
Gov. Ella Grasso
Why: She was the first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state.
Quote: “It is not enough to profess faith in the democratic process; we must do something about it.”
Isabella Beecher Hooker
Why: She was an abolitionist and women’s suffragist advocate. She also co-wrote the first property laws for women in Connecticut.
Quote: "Every woman has rights as a human being first, which belong to no sex, and ought to be as freely conceded to her as if she were a man.”
Katharine Hepburn
Why: She was an internationally acclaimed actress on stage, screen, and television. She also was the first “leading lady” in Hollywood to wear trousers on screen.
Quote: “If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.”
Rep. Maria Sanchez
Why: She was known as “the godmother” of Hartford’s Puerto Rican community. She became the first Hispanic woman elected to the Connecticut General Assembly.
Quote: “We have to make this community our community, and make it help us fight our problems.”
Mary Townsend Seymour
Why: She was the first African-American woman in the United States to run for state office. She also co-founded the Hartford NAACP chapter.
Quote: “[Black soldiers] are not with their lot in this democracy, which is going forth to make the world safe for democracy. There are so many parts of this country that are not decent places for [Blacks] to live in – yet they are dying and going to die to ‘make the world a decent place to live.’ They have more to forget and forgive than any racial group beneath the Stars and Stripes.”