100 years of International Women's Day

Yesterday Reel Grrls Executive Director and Founder Malory Graham was recognized in a Proclamation from Seattle City Council and the Seattle Women's Commission as part of the city's commemoration of the 100th year of International Women's Day!

Malory Graham and her mother, Port of Tacoma Commissioner Clare Petrich, holding the International Women's Day Proclamation recognizing Malory's role in empowering young girls.

Malory, who has been empowering young women through media production for the past ten years, was in some very impressive company. Also honored in the Proclamation were other outstanding women who have been trailblazers during their careers and dedicated their lives to important issues such as women's health, race and social justice, domestic violence, and many others issues that affect our local communities, including:

The first and only Mayor of Seattle Bertha Knight Landes

The first woman recognized in Seattle for opening the doors of "power and public life" for women and people of color, Ruth Woo

The first woman firefighter in Seattle Bonnie Beers

Advocate for undoing racism to prevent infant mortality in communities of color, Elizabeth Thomas, RN

Former State Representative Velma Veloria

Advocate for peace and justice, Pastor Angela Ying

Former Director of Planned Parenthood, Lee Minto

Executive Director of the Women's Center at UW, Sutapa Basu

Seattle City Councilmember Jeanette Williams

Program Manager of the Victim Support Team, SPD Dana Lockhart

Former Human Services Director of the City of Seattle Ven Knox

Former Seattle Office for Civil Rights Director Germaine W. Covington

Seattle Office for Civil Rights Director Julie Nelson

With Women's History Month about to come to a close, we're so glad to have been a part of yesterdays commemoration of local women making a difference. Who are some of your local heroes?