Senator Montgomery joins the YWCA of Brooklyn for a Panel Discussion focusing on "A Century of Striving: Advancing Women's Empowerment From Suffrage to Our Future"

On January 12th, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery joined Assemblymember Jo Ann Simon, Public Advocate Letitia James, and Councilmember Laurie Cumbo for the YWCA of Brooklyn's special symposium and panel discussion to celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage in New York State.

The "A Century of Striving: Advancing Women's Empowerment From Suffrage to Our Future" symposium included a reception and, in collaboration with Brooklyn College's Archival Studies Program, a new exhibit of historic photographic images capturing a century of women's civic and economic empowerment in Brooklyn. The event brought elected officials and young women of color community leaders together to discuss a range of issues impacting women today.

The YWCA of Brooklyn was founded in 1888 and is one of the oldest organizations in the United States dedicated to the empowerment of women. The YWCA has been at the forefront of the most critical social movements for more than 150 years — from women’s empowerment and civil rights, to affordable housing and pay equity, to violence prevention and health care.

Brooklyn furthers its mission by providing affordable, safe, permanent, housing for over 300 women; social justice advocacy, education and activism; and newly renovated, conveniently located, subsidized offices, event space, and meeting and training facilities for our nonprofit and civic partners in the Brooklyn community.

Critical to YWCA Brooklyn’s social justice model is the dedication of its newly renovated 180,000 square foot downtown Brooklyn building in service to the community and specifically other grassroots organizations also serving women and girls in Brooklyn. Facing a rapidly gentrifying borough, YWCA Brooklyn recognizes that many nonprofits cannot pay the rising costs of rent and are, as a result, struggling to survive. Through YWCA Brooklyn funded subsidizes for both office and program space, these organizations are able, not only to survive, but also to expand the reach and impact of their services. YWCA Brooklyn is proud to currently house four other nonprofit organizations, as well as to provide free event and meeting space to dozens of other nonprofits throughout Brooklyn. In 2015 there were over 20,000 visits to YWCA Brooklyn’s Social Justice Community Center.

For more information about the YWCA of Brooklyn, visit http://www.ywcabklyn.org

Senator Montgomery is a proud member of the New York State Women's Suffrage Commission. For more information about the Women's Suffrage Commission, visit

https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/articles/velmanette-montgomery/senator-montgomery-joins-lt-governor-kathy-hochul-and-nys

https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/articles/velmanette-montgomery/join-senator-montgomery-lieutenant-governor-kathy-hochul-and

https://www.ny.gov/commemorating-womens-suffrage-100th-anniversary/womens-suffrage-commission

https://www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-womens-suffrage-commission