Award-winning actors Jane Alexander, Viola Davis, America Ferrera, Rita Moreno, Zoe Saldana and Meryl Streep will portray Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in English and Spanish-Language ‘Talking Statues’ monologues that will accompany the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument.
Actors Jane Alexander and America Ferrera will voice Susan B. Anthony, Viola Davis and Zoe Saldana will voice Sojourner Truth, and Meryl Streep and Rita Moreno will voice Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
The Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument will be unveiled in Central Park on August 26, 2020, the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, when American women won the constitutional right to vote. Everyone will be able to watch the unveiling ceremony on social media August 26.
Monumental Women will also be continuing its other goals of initiating a Women’s History Education Campaign and challenging municipalities across the United States to re-imagine their public spaces to honor more women and people of color.
Meredith Bergmann, sculptor of the Monument, said: “Like the women I’m portraying, my work is meant to raise questions and to provoke thought. My hope is that all people, but especially young people, will be inspired by this image of women of different races, different religious backgrounds and different economic status working together to change the world.”
The Monument featuring Truth, Anthony and Stanton is set to be unveiled on Central Park’s Literary Walk on August 26, 2020, the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, when women won the right to vote. Monumental Women President Pam Elam expressed excitement and gratitude: “Combining the voices of six of the greatest artists of our time with the spirits of the three Women’s Rights Pioneers we honor in our Monument is a dream come true. We are thrilled to have the support of Jane Alexander, Viola Davis, America Ferrera, Rita Moreno, Zoe Saldana, and Meryl Streep
since they bring not only great artistry but, through their own work for equality and justice, bring a commitment to carrying on the work of the valiant women who came before us.”
‘Talking Statues’ is a project started by documentary filmmaker David Peter Fox in Copenhagen in 2013, to tell the stories behind statues through short monologues. The public can easily access the monologues by scanning a QR code on a smart-device or by downloading the Talking Statues app on a mobile device. The app is part of Monumental Women’s education campaign to educate Park visitors, young people and schoolchildren around the world about women’s history. Scriptwriter Joanne Parrent crafted the ‘Talking Statues’ narration as a conversation between the three women as portrayed in the Monument by using speeches and writings of Truth, Stanton and Anthony.
We thank Monumental Women Board Member Brenda Berkman for coordinating our Talking Statues project.
We celebrate this exciting announcement in honor of the 172nd Anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention (July 19 & 20, 1848).
© 2020 Monumental Women/The Statue Fund
Monumental Women® is a registered trademark. Monumental Women is a corporate alias of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Statue Fund Inc., which is a 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax deductible.
Monumental Women/The State Fund
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