A great moment in 2023 Women’s History Month in Virginia. As reported by WRIC, the portrait of former Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, the first woman and Jewish speaker in the House of Delegates’ 404-year history, was unveiled at the state Capitol on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (Read the entire WRIC coverage here.)
This week, Filler-Corn sent her supporters this reflection on the historical moment.
The significance of this moment taking place during Women’s History Month is not lost on me. I am incredibly proud to have served as the first woman and Jewish speaker in our Commonwealth’s history, but want to make it very clear that there are countless women who lifted me up and made this moment possible. I was proud to be joined by other history-makers yesterday, including Delegates Delores McQuinn and Jeion Ward, who were among the first Black women appointed as committee chairs in the history of the House of Delegates, and Suzette Denslow, who served as the first female clerk of the House of Delegates. To everyone who helped us achieve momentous change in Virginia: This portrait represents you, too. As Speaker, I was also proud to fight for policies that lifted up countless women across the Commonwealth. Democrats expanded access to reproductive health care, made record investments in early childhood development, made communities safer from gun violence and so much more between 2020 and 2021. This Women’s History Month and always, I promise to never stop fighting for a brighter future for women and girls, and anyone who has been told they don’t have the right background, faith, skin color, gender identity or sexual orientation to be where they deserve to be. You belong, and your voice matters. Sincerely yours, Eileen
Of her portrait, Filler-Corn believes it’s “Definitely not the last unveiling of a woman’s portrait on these walls.” And RVDW strongly agrees!
Submitted by RVDW Legislative Committee