CHICAGO, Illinois — Peggy Chase remembers being thrilled when Geraldine Ferraro was nominated for vice president in 1984, a historic achievement for American women.
“I remember thinking, 'My God, women can do anything,'” the former Onondaga County deputy said.
Forty years later, Chase said she witnessed that progress continuing powerfully as she watched Vice President Kamala Harris be nominated for president as one of New York's 307 delegates. The memory of Ferraro's candidacy, combined with the expectation that the first woman president will be elected in November, is a powerful reminder of how far women have come in this country and how much further they still need to go, Chase said.
At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week, the party made history by nominating Harris as its presidential candidate, the first Black and Southeast Asian woman to receive the nomination. For perhaps the first time in the history of the Democratic National Convention, the convention was headlined by women rather than men, including several from New York, where the women's suffrage movement began in 1848.
“As a woman, there's nothing more meaningful to me than seeing women earn their rightful place in leadership,” New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said. “I can't tell you how many women have stopped me in the last few days, grabbed me by the arm and said, 'We made it. We made it.'”
On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, former Secretary of State and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, New York Governor Kathy Hochle and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, all gave major prime-time speeches endorsing Harris, with Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, receiving national praise for her speech.
Jay Jacobs, chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, praised Ocasio-Cortez, Hochle and Clinton for their appearance on the national stage, calling it a great night for his daughter, granddaughter and the women seeking to elect the nation's first woman president.
“The time is now, not yesterday, not tomorrow,” Jacobs said at a New York delegation breakfast on Tuesday. “Three women, three generations, three powerful women who will help move (New York) forward.”
The state's other female legislator, Grace Meng, also spoke Wednesday night.
New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said New York is a model for the rest of the country about the effectiveness of female leadership, citing politicians like herself, Hawkle, Attorney General Letitia James and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, adding that when women take the lead and come together, “anything is possible.”
“This isn't to say we're excluding players. We're not excluding them because we need them,” Peoples-Stokes said. “It's just time to understand that they need us too.”
In response to women's growing role in political leadership, Rep. Michelle Solage shared the experience of a former colleague who had to deal with the lack of women's restrooms on the parliament floor. Rep. Solage noted that stories like this show how women have been historically excluded and how important it is to have women involved in leadership.
Sorage noted that historically, decision-making has been dominated by men, and even as more women assume key political roles, New York's male politicians, such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who could become the next Democratic speaker of the House, continue to wield considerable influence in the state.
Several female New York delegates said the prominence of female leaders at the Democratic National Convention and Harris' historic nomination reflect the progress and potential of women, particularly Black women, in leadership. Chase said Harris' unique style, which combines assertiveness with kindness, will bring a “necessary” female perspective to the White House.
As the first Black woman and speaker of the first female-majority New York City Council, Adams said the prospect of the nation's first Black woman president is personally significant to her.
“When I look at Vice President Kamala Harris, I see a lot of myself,” Adams said. “I see the vision for our future children and future generations. I see our future daughters and mothers and grandmothers living through her.”
Debbie Lewis, New York's representative and director of New York City's Office of Intergovernmental Relations, said Harris' role as a Black woman in the nation's highest office will inspire more women to enter politics and seek leadership positions at all levels.
Adams said Harris is an example of a Black woman finally being allowed to “rise to the top of the agenda,” shifting the focus from a historically male-dominated perspective. PeopleSpokes added that electing a diverse, female president would “change” global perception and increase respect for America on the world stage.
“Now it's our turn. We, Black women, have been the strongest and most vocal among the Democratic candidates,” the People spokesperson said. “I would be very disappointed in the party if she was not the nominee.”
Lewis said Harris' nomination and political success reflects progress for women but is also a call to action for them to continue to advance.
“This is our time,” she said. “This is a pivotal time for our country and for New York. If we don't work together, we risk undoing what our ancestors fought for for years.”
Samantha Olander is a third-year journalism student at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Journalism. She is part of a group of student journalists covering the Democratic National Convention for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard.
