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Fairfax City marked Women’s History Month on March 11 with a City Hall reception celebrating women’s contributions to local government, education, civil rights and community life.

The event featured remarks from Mayor Catherine Read, a mayoral proclamation and refreshments from three women-owned Fairfax businesses. Bisnonna Bakeshop supplied cannoli, Liberty Baking provided cupcakes and brownies, and Fair City Cookies made cookies decorated with the Women’s History Month logo. A Fairfax Academy fashion student also displayed a dress she created.

Read, the first woman elected mayor of Fairfax City, highlighted several women who have served the community. They included Councilmember Stacey Hardy-Chandler, the first Black woman elected to the City Council; former Councilmembers Janice Miller and Ellie Schmidt; former Planning Commissioner Janet Jaworski; and former Parks and Recreation Advisory Board member Evie Ifantides.

Fairfax became a city in 1961, and women have served on its governing body over many years. Read noted that the current council is the first in the city’s history with a female majority.

“All of us stand on the shoulders of the women who came before us,” she said.

Lessons from the fight for equality

Read also addressed the barriers that historically limited women’s access to political power. She recalled a recent visit with Councilmembers Anthony Amos and Rachel McQuillen to Katherine Johnson Middle School, where they discussed the 19th Amendment with eighth-grade students.

The amendment secured women’s voting rights in 1920, meaning that by 2025 women had held that constitutional protection for 105 years.

Read shared the story of Harry Burns, the 23-year-old Tennessee lawmaker whose vote helped his state become the last needed to ratify the amendment. His mother had urged him in a letter to “remember the ladies,” and Burns ultimately voted in favor of ratification.

The mayor also told students about Barbara Johns, who was 16 when she led a 1951 walkout at the all-Black Moton High School in Farmville. Students were protesting overcrowding and inferior conditions at the segregated school.

Their lawsuit, supported by two NAACP attorneys, was later consolidated with four other cases in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional. The Moton students formed the largest group of plaintiffs in the combined case.

Read said Johns’ story demonstrates the influence young people can have. A statue of Johns is slated to represent Virginia inside the U.S. Capitol, replacing one of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Women of every age have accomplished remarkable things, Read said, while many local volunteers and community leaders have contributed without receiving broad public recognition.

“This community has benefited from the commitment and the investment of women in our city for so many years,” she said.

City issues formal proclamation

At the City Council meeting following the reception, Read proclaimed March 2025 as Women’s History Month and presented a plaque to the Fairfax City Commission for Women.

The national theme for 2025 was “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating and Inspiring Generations.” The city’s proclamation recognized women who have advanced education, mentorship, leadership, equality, racial justice and social change.

It gave particular recognition to historically marginalized groups, including Black and Indigenous women, other women of color, LGBTQ+ women, immigrant women and women with disabilities.

The proclamation also celebrated women’s roles in fields ranging from science and computer programming to business, medicine, education, government, the military and the arts. It described women’s perseverance, courage and determination as central to the nation’s progress.

Commission for Women Chair Johnelle Brown accepted the plaque and said Women’s History Month offers an opportunity to reflect on women’s impact locally, nationally and around the world.

“Generations of all kinds of women have fought for equality, justice and the freedom to lead,” Brown said.

She said the observance should honor those achievements and sacrifices while encouraging the community to elevate the experiences of women from every background. Brown thanked the mayor and council for supporting the commission’s efforts to celebrate and advance women’s work in Fairfax.

The Commission for Women also scheduled a free panel discussion for March 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the City Hall council chambers at 10455 Armstrong St.

Hardy-Chandler was set to moderate the program, titled “Moving Forward Together: Women Educating and Inspiring Generations.” Local women educators were expected to discuss their experiences, lessons and roles in strengthening communities, mentoring others and leading with purpose.