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City of Tyler celebrates 99 years of women's history

The League of Women Voters of Tyler-Smith County hosted "99 Years and Counting" to celebrate Women's History Month.

"Well-behaved women seldom make history." -  Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian 

That's the quote former U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie recited to women and men at Liberty Hall on Saturday morning.

About 50 people were gathered for the League of Women Voters event "99 Years and Counting."

The league found no better way to celebrate women than with a few of Tyler's own historic figures, including Guthrie, who spoke about her beliefs.

"I'm a feminist, it used to be an okay word and it's somehow become kind of 'Oh, my god, she's a feminist,'" Guthrie said. "All it really means is that, be you a man or a woman, believe that men and women are equal."

She also spoke of women's history in the Lone Star State.

"Women found churches, schools, museums, they civilized our state, lots of women out there doing incredible things," Guthrie explained.

Barbara Bass, Tyler's first female mayor, talked about the women who paved the path so that she could have such a title.

"The women that were before us started public processes, they learned to promote issues," Bass said. "What I see from history is that women see a need, we figure out what needs to be done, we created the atmosphere for change and we go to work that was true both in our history and that is true today."

Nancy Rangel and LaShonda Malrey-Horne also shared personal stories about their families with the crowd.

"We each have a beautiful story--that's what makes us different," Rangel, president of the Tyler Hispanic Business Alliance said. "But in my thoughts that's what makes us each beautiful."

A march around downtown to the Goodman Museum was also planned for the event. And the rain didn't stop them as they walked and sang, "God Bless America."

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