Activist Florence Luscomb Born
On this day in 1887, lifelong political activist Florence Luscomb was born in Lowell. As a child, she heard the legendary Susan B. Anthony speak. In her 20s, she traveled the state campaigning for woman suffrage. In her 30s, she ran for public office, coming within 1% point of winning a seat on the Boston City Council. In her 60s, she was the Progressive Party's nominee for Governor. She remained an activist well into her 80s. In the last decades of her long life, she was a living bridge between the first and second waves of American feminism. A bust of Luscomb is included in a work of art installed in the State House to honor the contributions of women to public life in Massachusetts.
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