Jessie Montgomery, a Van Lier Fellow at Third Street Music Settlement then at the American Composers Orchestra (photo: Ari Mintz for The New York Community Trust)

During Women’s History Month, we pay tribute to women who have been central figures in the ongoing campaign for equality.

While it’s important to recall those who have led the charge for voting rights and equal pay, we often overlook the pioneering women whose philanthropy has shaped our city and trailblazed for subsequent generations of

Council Member Cumbo at a Women's History Month celebration (photo: Ben Max)

On Monday, March 30, the New York City Council will host a Women's History Month celebration at City Hall. Council members will likely celebrate women heroes of city government, past and present, and acknowledge the history-making leadership of both Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the first Latina to hold the position, and Public Advocate Letitia James, a former council member who is