Congressman Trone Hosts Equity and Justice Roundtable on Women’s History with Hagerstown Mayor Emily Keller, Hagerstown City Councilmember Tiara Burnett, and Girls, Inc. of Washington County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov
Congressman Trone Hosts Equity and Justice Roundtable on Women’s History with Hagerstown Mayor Emily Keller, Hagerstown City Councilmember Tiara Burnett, and Girls, Inc. of Washington County
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman David Trone (MD-06) hosted a roundtable discussion with Washington County leaders on women’s history and the importance of empowering the next generation of leaders. During the conversation, the group reflected on the progress made by women over the course of history and the need to come together to break down gender inequities and support the history makers of tomorrow.
You can watch the conversation here.
The panelists included:
- Mayor Emily Keller, City of Hagerstown
- Councilmember Tiara Burnett, Hagerstown City Council
- Maureen Grove, Executive Director, Girls Inc. of Washington County
- Clara Tavarez, Member, Girls Inc. of Washington County
“This conversation was a great opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made in the fight for gender equity and discuss what work still needs to be done to create a more equitable future,” said Congressman Trone. “I’d like to thank each panelist for sharing their perspectives on how we can empower the next generation of women leaders.”
“Representation matters….We always talk about how important it is for little girls to see people in office or in leadership positions that look like them. But I think it’s equally as important for little boys to see women in positions of power….It’s so important, especially for our children, to look up and to see diverse leadership,” said Hagerstown Mayor Emily Keller.
“We’ve shown time and time again that we’re up to the challenge. At one point women couldn’t even have a job…but now here we’re running our own companies, we’re in elected roles, we’re mentors, and we’re out here making changes,” said Hagerstown City Councilmember Tiara Burnett.
“We’re teaching girls to be assertive and [to] advocate for themselves….We want them to face challenges with courage and compassion, but [also] to be change agents for equity and for tolerance that the world so desperately needs….This generation is the one that’s gotta do it, this generation of women.” said Girls Inc. Executive Director Maureen Grove.
“[My] main piece of advice is to surround yourself with people you know are going to support you and have a strong community that supports you — like Girls, Inc. of Washington County does for me,” said Girls Inc. member Clara Tavarez. “I think it’s very important for kids that there are people like them in government or leadership positions in general. I’m Dominican. Seeing there’s not a lot of Hispanic women in government makes me want to go into the government.”
You can watch the conversation here.
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Appropriations, Veterans’ Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees in the 117th Congress and previously served on the Education and Labor and Foreign Affairs Committees. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
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