REAL WOMEN OF FLORIDA (a statue of Mary McLeod is pictured on the left; Marjory Stoneman is to the right).
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Michelangelo
I don’t ask for much when I travel; a comfortable bed to sleep in, friends or family to visit or share my journeys with, good food to eat, soulful experiences and landscapes to “ooh and ah” over. But since I’ve been working on this blog, I’ve added finding a statue of a woman to the list. Half the time I’m able to locate a female statue, but when I find her, she’s either rooted in religion, myth, legend, or folklore. And most of them are un-named. I snap their photo anyway, happy to have a scrap to add to the collection. But lately, I’ve added a caveat; the statue should be named after a real woman (Sorry Little Mermaid and Rita the Troll, I mean you no disrespect.).
Folks, it’s time to heighten the parameters. I’d have thought the world had made greater gains over the past few years and we while have dotted the landscapes with more statues of women, we haven’t covered as much real estate as I’d hoped. Ladies, we still have miles to walk and hundreds of pieces of stone, bronze, or marble to sculpt. Let’s get chiseling!
Here’s an example of my findings. On my most recent trip to Melbourne, Florida to visit a friend, I came up short. No surprise there. But I did find a few statues of women in the sunny southern state and some plans for future development. Meager rations, but I’ll take any kind of progress, even if it’s divvied out in small doses.
Miami: JULIE TUTTLE (1849-1898). Ms. Tuttle is considered to be the “Mother of Miami.” She was a businesswoman who owned land on which Miami was founded. She’s considered to be the only woman to have founded a major American city. A significant accomplishment.
Mount Dora: MABEL NORRIS REESE (1914-1995). Ms. Reeves was a journalist who covered the Groveland Four case; an arrest that charged and convicted four black men of raping a white woman in the 1950’s. Turns out, the men had been falsely accused. Ms. Reese believed the men when nobody else would and she persevered until the truth was finally revealed. However, her efforts got her exiled from her hometown in Lake County. A bust of her, now on display in Mount Dora, welcomes her back by honoring her journalistic integrity.
Key Biscayne: MARJORY STONEMAN DOULGLAS (1890-1998). Ms. Stoneman was an author and environmentalist and is often called “The First Lady of the Everglades.” She’s also the namesake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland where a mass shooting claimed the lives of too many vital young people. A bronze statue of Ms. Douglas can be found at the Key Biscayne Nature Center. Other sites are pending.
Washington, DC. MARY McLEOD BETHUNE (1875-1955). Ms. Bethune was an educator, civil rights leader and suffragette. She was known as “the first black lady of the struggle.” A statue of her can be found in Statuary Hall where she’s the first black woman to have been given this special honor.
Future site; Kennedy Space Center or Orlando: SALLY RIDE (1951-2012). Ms. Ride was a physicist and an astronaut. She’s the first American woman to go into space. Her first voyage was on the Challenger in 1983. Efforts are underway to create a sculptor that memorializes this trailblazer.
Special note: A statue that represented women of the confederacy was recently dismantled.
In case you haven’t been keeping score, I’ll total it for you. I located three statues of named women in Florida, none of them in the Melbourne area. There’s one woman monument with Florida ties located in DC and another female statue is pending near the space center. Seems to me there must’ve been more than five women over the course of history that’s made a significant contribution to society (I apology if I’ve missed anyone). Either the women were overlooked, written out of the history books or pushed aside in lieu of men. I’m told there are many factors that go into creating a new statue. First off, the nominated person must demonstrate American exceptionalism; there must be a funding source or they must have the full support of a large organization or corporation. Then a location that allows for maximum exposure and viewing must be secured. An artist must be commissioned. The nominated person must be above reproach and should grace the resting space with dignity. They need to be considered “a cut above the rest” and should project a level of humanity everyone should strive to attain. A tall order for sure. But women of Florida are up to the challenge.
For starters, you can find a list of women who’ve made Florida proud at the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. A list of names is etched on a wall and can be found at the state capital.
Be brave. Start a campaign to fund a new statue. Use one on the list or nominate one of your choosing. Feminism starts at home. Get chiseling! The matriarch is counting on you.