Her Story: Tracing the Feminist Pulse of San Francisco
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Place Description
Imagine San Francisco in the early 20th century—a city rising in stone and steel, crafted by hands and minds that, by law, weren’t permitted to cast a vote in their democracy. Julia Morgan, a pioneering architect and the first woman licensed in California, left an indelible mark on the city’s skyline. She wielded her influence in an era that denied her and all women the basic right to shape the policies of the world they were physically building. Her buildings stand today not just as architectural achievements but as powerful symbols of resistance, resilience, and redefinition of what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated world.
Following the footsteps of feminist movements in San Francisco, from the walls that house our history to the streets where women marched for change. Each location—the Women’s Building, Morgan’s architectural landmarks, grassroots meeting spots—reveals a chapter of a story that remains unfinished. Through these physical spaces, we trace the power of collective voices and memory through women's history and look toward the steps still necessary for genuine equality. By mapping the legacy of feminists, we’re reminded that the gains of the past demand action in the present and the future, creating a city, and society at large, that can continue to be reimagined by and for women.
In San Francisco’s story, these landmarks stand not just as monuments of the past but as callings for the future, urging us to consider what remains to be built, reformed, and reclaimed in the pursuit of true agency and equality for all.
Publication Year
2024
Disciplines
Public History | United States History
Faculty Mentor
Aaron Richardson, MA, MLIS