BOSTON (WHDH) - Leaders and community members gathered in the Back Bay to honor the 20th anniversary of the Boston Women’s Memorial, where organizers announced a modern addition to the memorial on the Commonwealth Mall.
Built in October of 2003, the memorial commemorates the work of abolitionist Abigail Adams, women’s rights advocate Lucy Stone and formerly enslaved poet Phillis Wheatley.
“To have women firmly entrenched and lifted up in this narrative is really important, we’re starting, thanks to the work of folks in this space, to see that across all parts of the city but this one place is very special,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said at the event.
In honor of the anniversary, visitors can now scan a QR Code on each of the statues to hear the words written by the three women, read by three current female leaders.
The initiative is a part of the Talking Statues Project, featuring the voice of Wu as Stone, Rep. Ayanna Pressley as Wheatley and Attorney General Andrea Campbell as Adams.
“My kids and I have spent a lot of time right here as well exploring and using the delightful experience here as the opening to have bigger conversations about what it means and who these amazing people were and what Boston was like in these moments and where we still need to go,” Wu said.
Those who worked on the project hope the added voices will inspire other historical sites to participate.
“It is my hope that in this memorial, we commit not just to remembering the past but continuing to blaze a future in which hopefully future daughters will reflect and remember on the work we did so that they do not have to live with that legacy forever,” an organizer said at the event.
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