A coalition of New York City candidates aims to rename a bridge connecting Manhattan and the Bronx as the Olga Méndez Bridge. This initiative honors Méndez, the first Puerto Rican woman in a U.S. state legislature, who served from 1978 to 2004, and aims to celebrate her legacy alongside a proposed "Olga Méndez Day". Key supporters include candidates from various Primary Election races and notable figures such as Adam Clayton Powell IV, emphasizing Méndez's substantial contributions to connecting diverse communities and promoting opportunity, courage, and equity.
Marty Dolan, one of the candidates leading the charge in this proposal, stated, "This is about more than a name. It's about uplifting the legacy of a woman who connected boroughs, values, and generations. The Olga Méndez Bridge will symbolize what she lived for: opportunity, courage and equity."
Olga Méndez, who served in the New York State Senate from 1978 to 2004, was the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in any state legislature in the continental U.S. Her legacy is shaped by her political pragmatism and ethnicity.
Adam Clayton Powell IV remarked, "Senator Olga Méndez and my father, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., walked a similar road - both were bold, both were trailblazers, and both gave voice to the voiceless."
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