麻州參議會「她的故事」第3輯將豎Abugail Adams和Elizabeth Freeman半身雕像 展91婦女先驅圖片

                    (Boston Orange 綜合報導) 麻州參議會議長Karen Spilka 3月27日宣佈，將委請藝術家製作女權領袖兼總統顧問的美國前第一夫人Abigail Adams，以及在麻州成功爭取自由的首名非洲裔婦女Elizabeth Freeman的半身雕像，並永久豎立在麻州參議會議事廳內。展出91名婦女圖片的「她的故事」第3輯，同時揭幕。

                 麻州參議會為彰顯女權，從2023年起推出「她的故事」系列。2025年由參議會藝術委員會主席Julian Cyr負責承辦，以開拓者和顛覆者為主題，推出「她的故事」展覽，並製作將永久豎立在參議會議事廳內的婦女半身雕像，藉以表揚對麻州有重大影響的女性。

                曾任總統顧問的前美國第一夫人Abigail Adams和首名興訟爭取到個人自由的非洲裔婦女Elizabeth Freeman，從300多被提名者中獲選為製作半身雕像的對象。她們兩人的雕像將成為麻州參議會議事廳內的首座婦女雕像。

                  彰顯對形塑麻州歷史有貢獻的「她的故事」展覽，將在參議會儀式辦公室掛出包括首位出版詩集並支持美國爭取獨立的非洲裔婦女Phillis Wheatley，擁護工人權益並成為首位在總統內閣工作的婦女 Frances Perkins，麻州議會新聞服務首名婦女發行人，也是首名女性麻州眾議員的Elberta Futrelle Copeland，倡議精神健康及關注大屠殺，在位時間最長的麻州第一夫人 Kitty Dukakis，以及反種族隔離的麻州最高法院首名女性首席大法官  Margaret H. Marshall等91位打破玻璃天花板，成為領袖及模範的著名婦女照片。

Senate selects Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Freeman to be First Woman Busts in State House

Announcement comes as HERstory: Volume III unveiled in Senate President’s Office 

BOSTON (3/27/2025) — Today, Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka announced that busts of women’s rights leader and presidential advisor Abigail Adams, as well as freedom fighter Elizabeth Freeman, the first enslaved woman to successfully sue for her freedom in the United States of America, will be commissioned and placed in the Massachusetts Senate Chamber.   

Adams and Freeman will be the first permanent busts depicting women in the Massachusetts State House, and the first in the Senate Chamber’s collection of sculptures.  

The announcement came alongside the unveiling of HERstory Volume III: Trailblazers and Disruptors, a photo exhibition in the Senate President’s office honoring women who have shaped Massachusetts.   

“Whether by accident or design, the contributions of women who have shaped our Commonwealth and nation have too long been absent from State House art,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “Today we raise up Abigail Adams and Elizabeth Freeman as trailblazers and leaders who should rightfully be honored in the Senate Chamber. Their presence will help us send a clear message to every woman who walks our halls: you belong here. I am deeply grateful to Senator Cyr for his leadership, and to the Senate Art Committee members for lending their expertise to a Senate that strives for better representation.” 

“Representation is not meant to be a crumb. The decision to place busts of two women in the Senate chamber is a meaningful testament to the extraordinary contributions of scores of women to our Commonwealth,” said Senator Julian Cyr (D-Cape and Islands), Chair of the Senate Art Committee. This marks an important step in our ongoing work to recognize the women and individuals who have shaped Massachusetts but have too often been overlooked in our history books. It has been an honor and a privilege to chair the Senate Art Committee through this spirited yet rigorous process, and I’m grateful for Senate President Spilka’s vision of a Senate that more closely reflects the diversity that has defined our Commonwealth.”  

Elizabeth Freeman, born into slavery in New York around 1744, became the first African American woman to successfully sue for her freedom in Massachusetts. Inspired by the promise of liberty in the Massachusetts Constitution, her 1781 case, Brom and Bett v. Ashley, helped establish that slavery was incompatible with the state’s founding principles. After gaining her freedom, Freeman became a respected healer and midwife, later securing her place in history as a trailblazer for civil rights.  

Abigail Adams, known for urging the Founding Fathers to “remember the ladies,” was an early advocate for women’s rights and education. As a trusted advisor to her husband, President John Adams, she managed their household and finances while influencing political discourse through her letters.  

Adams and Freeman were the top two choices of the Senate, where members selected them from four finalists chosen by the Senate Art Committee out of a pool of over 300 nominations submitted by Massachusetts residents. Committee members selected the finalists following a series of public meetings.  

The Art Committee will now select an artist to create the sculpture. It will be only the third piece of art in the Senate honoring a woman leader, joining portraits of Abigail Adams and former Senate President Therese Murray, and the twenty-second permanent piece of art honoring a woman in the State House.  

Spilka unveils HERstory Volume III: Trailblazers and Disruptors 

The selection was announced during an event unveiling volume three of the HERstory exhibit, which highlights the women who have shaped Massachusetts history by placing their photos on the walls of the Senate President’s ceremonial office, covering photos of past Senate Presidents.   

Women included in the exhibit are Massachusetts’ trailblazers and disruptors—who have shattered glass ceilings and become leaders and role models for women who now follow in their footsteps—as a reminder that Massachusetts is a state of ‘firsts’ in so many ways.  

Ninety-one women cover the photos of 91 prior Senate Presidents, and among others, include:   

• Phillis Wheatley, the first African American author of a published book of poetry and a strong supporter of America's fight for independence 
• Frances Perkins, workers' rights advocate and first woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet 
• Elberta Futrelle Copeland, first woman publisher of the State House News Service and first woman to step foot on the floor of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
• Kitty Dukakis, longest-serving First Lady of Massachusetts and advocate for mental health and Holocaust awareness 
• Margaret H. Marshall, anti-apartheid activist and first woman to serve as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court  

The new art is the latest step in Senate President Spilka’s effort to expand representation in the State House and comes on the heels of last year’s installment of Frederick Douglass’ bust in the Senate Chamber, and the addition of a portrait of Abigail Adams in the Senate Lobby.