March is Women’s History Month, a time when we pay special tribute to women whose contributions to society have proved invaluable. Find out how four extraordinary New York City women are currently making history in their local neighborhoods in these oral histories recently compiled and collected as part of The New York Public Library’s Community Oral History Project.

• Self-described city girl Edith Blitzer, a lifelong Bronx resident, is chair of the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association. Here, she discusses the changes she has seen in her East Bronx neighborhood, her role with local community organizing, and her ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life for all Pelham Parkway residents.
• Inspired by historical artifacts from the Morris-Jumel Mansion, contemporary artist and Washington Heights resident Andrea Arroya combined creativity, history, and multiculturalism to create 20 contemporary works of art.
• Lisa D. Hayes is an experienced healthcare and not-for-profit attorney and manager of the Strivers Gardens Gallery. Here, she talks about residential community development projects that helped inspire a second renaissance in Harlem.
• Nooria Nodrat fled war-torn Afghanistan with her family many years ago. After an attack by a stranger on a New York City subway platform blinded Nooria, she was inspired to create a not-for-profit organization—the Afghanistan Blind Women and Children Foundation—to help enhance the lives of blind women and children in her native country through education and health services.

About NYPL’s Oral History Project

The New York Public Library's Community Oral History Project, an initiative taking place at NYPL branches, aims to document, preserve, and celebrate the rich history of the city's unique neighborhoods by collecting the stories of people who have experienced it firsthand. Details about the project can be found at oralhistory.nypl.org.