“Too often Black women’s stories are neglected, untold, and hidden. We are the footnotes in other people’s stories.”
We work to honor influential women of the University of Chicago in the form of public art. Many women who have left a mark in history deserve to be heard and remembered on campus. Their legacies are what will continue to inspire the next generation of women, students, faculty, and visitors who pass through the halls of this great University. The project was founded by third years Asya Akca and Shae Omonijo.
03/06/2021
Join us TODAY for “Being the First”, a panel with our co-founders.
Sign up for this amazing event here: https://alumniandfriends.uchicago.edu/s/activities-event?name=Being+the+First%3A+Overcoming+Inertia+for+Women+of+Color
06/29/2020
“What has been lost in this cathartic moment of tearing down monuments which glorify centuries of slavery, white supremacy, and racial capitalism, is what we plan on putting up in their place. It’s easy for our elected officials to take down monuments, but it’s even harder to do the work of intentionally curating monuments that honor black women. If we do not hold our elected officials and greater communities accountable to committing to erect new monuments that present a more honest account of this nation’s history, we’re not addressing the full extent of the problem.”
Our founders recently published an op-ed in Chicago Tribune Opinion highlighting the need to shift the national conversation on monuments to honoring the black women in our nation’s history! Check it out here:
Commentary: The missing faces of Black women among our public monuments As the debate over monuments sweeps across America, it is critical to discuss what is missing.
03/05/2020
The Monumental Women Project is thrilled to announce the second installment of the Dr. Georgiana Rose Simpson Scholarship Fund for Academic Year 2020-21.
Help keep Dr. Simpson’s legacy alive through this scholarship— inspiring the next generation of trailblazing, history-making The University of Chicago student leaders.
Make a gift today using this link: https://crowdfunding.uchicago.edu/?cfpage=project&project_id=32982&t=1583364076
11/29/2019
Two years ago we officially unveiled the Dr. Simpson Monument at The University of Chicago! We’re so thankful for all the people in our lives that made this happen!
(Pictured: Asya (L) Fmr. Senator Carol Moseley Braun, first African American female U.S. Senator (M) and Shae (R))
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11/15/2019
Happy Birthday to the truly monumental woman, ! We were so honored to introduce Ms. Jarrett at our 2018 class day convocation ceremonies 💕
08/19/2019
We are pleased to announce that the Monumental Women Project is now a Non-Profit in DC! We look forward to continuing to work with communities to honor more women through public art. Visit our website to learn more about our efforts (monumentalwomenproject.com)
@ The Wing
03/26/2019
We’re so proud of Nadaya, the first recipient of the Dr. Georgiana Rose Simpson Scholarship. She is nearing the end of her first year at The University of Chicago and is absolutely killing it. Comment below on a woman that inspires you !
11/28/2018
A year ago today🎂, the Monumental Women Project unveiled the first public monument honoring an African-American woman in the city of Chicago.
In 1921, Dr. Georgiana Rose Simpson (AB 1911, AM 1920, PhD 1921) was awarded a doctorate in German Philology at The University of Chicago, making her one of the first African American women to earn a PhD in the United States. 📚🥇
You can visit the bronze bust of Dr. Georgiana R. Simpson inside the Reynolds Club at UChicago.
10/27/2018
Who else is looking forward to 's upcoming book tour ?! .