On March 8, 2023, the official first day of Women’s History Month, Adrienne E. Adams, Speaker of the New York City Council, delivered her State of the City address from the Bronx, outlining her bold vision to prioritize “People Over Everything” with a focus on Workers and New Yorkers’ Access to economic mobility, Fair Housing, and Healthier, Safer Neighborhoods with a focus on underserved communities. She said, “We will continue to advance solutions for New Yorkers whose needs have too often been marginalized because when we respond through this lens of equity, all New Yorkers win. This means focusing on the needs of women, who make up 60% of our city’s frontline workforce, and people of color, who are three out of every four frontline workers. By centering women of color, who sit at the intersection of multiple marginalized communities, we can zone in on comprehensive solutions that address the root of our most pressing challenges. This benefits us all.
“It’s time that our vision and our investments are aimed at the people whose work improves our lives and our city.”

Council speaker Adams is on the frontlines for all New Yorkers. She is representative of many of the women we encounter face to face or observe from a distance – women of all seasons. We will continue to write about women whose voices are loud and others whose voices may not be heard. There is a platform here and a mic on the lectern.