Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round-Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories. Here’s what caught our eye this week:

 

This massive monument to women is quietly taking shape in New York City

Shannon Eblen, The Lily

On Roosevelt Island, artists debuted “The Girl Puzzle” monument honoring women, including groundbreaking investigative journalist Nellie Bly. Former Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) president and chief executive, Susan Rosenthal came up with the idea for the Nellie Bly memorial during a time where there was increased interest in monuments honoring women. Women monuments are rare in the country, with a recent study showing out of the top 50 individuals commemorated, only three were women.

Read the full story here.

 

For the First Time, Boston Residents Elect a Woman of Color as Mayor

Kaycie Goral, Ms. Magazine

For the first time in Boston’s near 200-year existence, the city has elected a woman of color as Mayor. Michelle Wu (in conjunction with Kim Janey who is currently the Acting Mayor of Boston) will end the 200-year span of white male leadership in the city. Wu’s election also adds to the growing number of AAPI representation in politics, with her being the seventh Asian American person leading a major city in the country.

“’This is a huge accomplishment and motivation for women of color everywhere, especially as Michelle surrounds herself with strong women leaders,’ said Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke, president and CEO of the APAICS. ‘Women are underrepresented across all sectors, and Michelle’s race is so important to show that not only can we run for office and potentially win, but that we can uplift and win together as well.’”

Read the full story here.

 

The Supreme Court appears likely to allow challenges to Texas’ six-week abortion law. Here’s what that means.

Shefali Luthra and Candice Norwood, The 19^th*

According to experts, it appears that the Supreme Court will likely allow challenges to Texas’s Senate Bill 8.  Texas’s Senate Bill 8bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. There are currently two major cases challenging Senate Bill 8: Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson, which looks at the question “When private citizens are the ones suing, can such laws be challenged in federal court?” and United States of America v. Texas, which looks at “Whether the United States has the right to challenge the Texas law and whether this particular six-week ban threatens the sovereignty of the U.S. government by creating an avenue for states to circumvent federal law.”

Read the full story here.

 

New Report On The State Of Black Women In American Politics Highlights Both Progress And Untapped Potential

Marianne Schnall, Forbes

Earlier this year, America witnessed the historic moment of Kamala Harris taking the role of Vice President of the United States of America. While this was a step of progress, when Vice President Harris took this position, the country also lost its only Black woman senator. This exchange in power highlights Black women’s underrepresentation in the political sphere. According to recent data by Reaching Higher: Black Women in American Politics 2021, from Higher Heights Leadership Fund, despite Black women being 7.8% of the population and one of the groups with the highest voter turnout rate, they only make up 5% of elected statewide executive offices, Congress, and state legislatures.

Read the full story here.