The Commission partnered with the Town of Seneca Falls for a one-of-a-kind commemorative centennial statue that will bring to life the earliest chapters in the story of women’s fight for the vote. Ripples of Change, designed by renowned sculptor Jane DeDecker, will depict four activists whose work spanned generations, including Laura Cornelius Kellogg, Harriet Tubman, Martha Coffin Wright, and Sojourner Truth. The statue is a commitment to ensuring the visibility of women's stories for the next 100 years, to acknowledging the complexities of an imperfect but powerful movement for change, and to inspiring a new generation of leaders.
The Commission collaborated with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in the creation of the statue. A group of fifteen Haudenosaunee Clan Mothers, Chiefs, scholars, historians, artists, and leaders selected Laura Cornelius Kellogg for inclusion in the statue. Kellogg was a member of the Oneida Nation and an activist, author, suffrage supporter, and founder of the Society of American Indians. As the sculpture is created, Jane DeDecker is working with Haudenosaunee artist Diane Schenandoah on Indigenous representation within the artwork. Representatives from the National Women's Hall of Fame, Women's Rights National Historical Park, Harriet Tubman National Historic Park, the New York State Suffrage Commission, Ganondagan State Historic Site, the Town of Seneca Falls, Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, and the New York State Museum, have also collaborated on the project. In late summer 2021, the Ripples of Change statue will be unveiled along the Seneca Falls River next to the When Anthony Met Stanton statue, which depicts Amelia Bloomer introducing suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The statue will likely be moved to People's Park as a central part of the revitalization of the Seneca Falls town center in the coming years.
Clay Model of Ripples of Change Statue, Featuring (L to R) Laura Cornelius Kellogg, Harriet Tubman, Martha Coffin Wright, and Sojourner Truth.
“These women deserve statues...When we think about if we’re going to have visible physical memorials—why don’t we celebrate those women who through history moved us toward that more perfect union?”
“Our Haudenosaunee Confederacy was the guidepost that the U.S. Founding Fathers relied upon when fashioning the U.S. Constitution, and our women were the source of inspiration to suffragists who sought the full power and respect that our Haudenosaunee women have always held. This statue will stand on the lands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and it is our hope that Laura’s words and actions will inspire the public to be active participants in reclaiming this truth.”
