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A First For Wyoming Women Complicated By Racism

Wyoming State Historical Society

The Wyoming House passed a bill to create a day commemorating Estelle Reel. She was the first woman elected to a statewide office in 1894, as the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  

 

While the majority of lawmakers wanted to recognize Reel’s accomplishment, House Minority Leader Cathy Connolly said Reel’s discriminatory attitude toward Native Americans and women should make them think twice.

 

Connolly said she researched Reel and read multiple articles.

 

“And this one, from the Wyoming Historical Society, which would be a well written article with lots of citations to it,” Connolly said is what shifted her thinking about celebrating Estelle Reel.  “It included this history regarding her thoughts, feelings and actions regarding both the abilities of women and regarding American Indians.”

 

Connolly provided that article to her fellow representatives. Despite knowing of Reel’s racism, the House passed the bill 46 to 11 with 3 excused. It will now be discussed by the Senate.

 

Tennessee -- despite what the name might make you think -- was born and raised in the Northeast. She most recently called Vermont home. For the last 15 years she's been making radio -- as a youth radio educator, documentary producer, and now reporter. Her work has aired on Reveal, The Heart, LatinoUSA, Across Women's Lives from PRI, and American RadioWorks. One of her ongoing creative projects is co-producing Wage/Working (a jukebox-based oral history project about workers and income inequality). When she's not reporting, Tennessee likes to go on exploratory running adventures with her mutt Murray.

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