On July 3rd, Austin-based nonprofit TeXchromosome, founded by Syracuse Native Penny Jo Pullus, kicks off 2019 Women’s Freedom Week in Central New York, celebrating strong women leaders, veterans, doctors, nurses, scholars, and indigenous visionaries who have personal and timely stories to tell.  We invite all to come to selected museums throughout Central New York to honor the vision and courage of these path-finding women.

As a mission statement, courageousness Courage cannot be better defined than by our TeXchromosome 2019 Music Award Winner, Emily Grace Clark.  Emily will have the honor of singing with The Vet Church in Washington, D.C. as part of its pilgrimage to the prestigious National Cathedral for their annual concert happening in tandem with our USH Tour Kickoff in CNY. We could not be prouder of our award recipient for her generosity of spirit and dedication to music advocacy.

Why did we choose the Museum Series?  

Central NY is a historically fertile community, and there are many unknown women leaders and veterans right here in our own backyard.  We partner with these organizations because they enable us to both raise awareness and get entry registry books signed by visitors; the latter is vital for tracking interest, which is necessary when seeking funding to continue preserving history. Songwriters are the last of the pioneers to sing and pass down stories. 

Women have long been Unsung Heroines in history. It is the elder women’s voices that were responsible for passing stories and folk songs down in past generations, but these same voices are typically suppressed in contemporary society. Behind every great man is a great woman. How many times have we heard that line? And if we dig a little deeper into those scenarios, we can find the boundary-pushing women who helped to shape our modern world and who are still doing so. Women spent decades pushing and challenging traditional roles from behind the scenes as well as in the forefront – women with guts, tenacity, and backbone.  

Syracuse native singer-songwriter Penny Jo Pullus is founder and president of TeXchromosome: Women with TeXas Size Spirit. She has been an Austin, Texas transplant for 20-plus years. Pullus has now come full circle and is bringing her mission home to Central New York along with the non-profit organization she created, which advocates for women in music. Back in 1995, the Syracuse musical women’s community inspired Pullus to collaborate with two other female performers to co-release new records. They also set up a fund-drive and donation site for Vera House Domestic Violence Relief of Central New York.  Pullus says, “That excitement of working with the women’s community and empowering women to break free of the repression cycle has never left. I have been chasing it ever since.” That special night also sparked a long-term friendship and collaboration with local SAMMY Award-winning artist, Kay Miracle.

Little did the songwriters know that they would spend the next 20 years working side by side and across the country, tirelessly lifting women’s voices and stories to be heard.

 Kay Miracle, who sits as vice-president on the TeXchromosome board, is the brainchild behind the Museum Series. Historian, master storyteller, and songwriter, Miracle has been working with veterans, trauma-affected, and disabled folks to help interpret and craft their stories into songs. It has become a passion to help these souls find healing and relief. Miracle has introduced Healing Through Song as a new extension to the TeXchromosome Mission and Vision.