Tag Archives: suffrage centennials

Who are we at SuffrageCentennials.com? Why do we do what we do?

I remember going to a writer’s workshop years ago. We crowded into a small room in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The most asked question could be summed up in this way: “Is writing the same as activism? Are we contributing to a safer saner climate by retreating into a closet and writing?”

Naturally the instructor was of the opinion that writing and spreading the word is as important as bodily action. Writing can be isolating. Some individuals make sure they are out in public and writing in less than conventional spaces. The answer to the question stated above is—it depends on what you write, its audience, and the passion you lend to the experience.

So far, on this web site there have been over 600 posts. Not all of these posts are gems. Some are. They were geared to opinion leaders. It wasn’t just me volunteering. Many of us toiled quietly and persistently for close to a decade before the 2020 centennial of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. We worked into the early mornings.

JUST BECAUSE THE SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL IS OVER

DOESN’T MEAN WE’RE NO LONGER ON THE CASE!

And the impossible was realized—even though the COVID-pandemic took a chunk from our expenditure of such massive effort, it was worth it. The 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution meant that a unique and noteworthy anniversary was celebrated from top to bottom of the social and financial top-down hierarchy.

The anniversary wasn’t perfect. The people involved weren’t perfect. But boy, were we determined to make this 100 years of women voting something to remember. It agitated the base. Suffrage centennial celebrations would not have taken. place without the participation of so many over a long period of time.

WAS THE CENTENNIAL OBSERVANCE A SUCCESS OR A FAILURE?

There were books, conferences, t-shirts, articles, events, and more, more. Those behind the scenes found themselves in diverse situations, from those who never heard of the voting rights movement to those who made snap judgments about people they never met. We are acutely aware now that this social change movement opened the door to people and locations that were significant in their own right, as well as present-day historians.

I never thought I’d be starting at the age of ten and realizing that my future would contain tons of volunteering, the learning and performance of skills I never could have anticipated being familiar with, and more. My first book is about the suffrage movement and how it played itself out in one family. Curious? You will be even more curious about how suffrage centennials move into the future.

During 2023, US women could recite their history of working on a suffrage centennial project for 100 years. That’s how long we’ve been working for the establishment of an equal rights amendment to the US constitution. We have minds like steel traps. We remember, and we’ll never forget.

SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL SUPPORTERS ARE WORKING HARD

FOR THE PASSAGE OF AN EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT

The year 2023 marks the 100th year that US women have been supporting and working for an ERA.

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A New Play: “Susan B” by Daphne White Highlights Suffrage Conflicts

“Susan B.” Goes Behind the Scenes and Behind the Masks

by Daphne White

“Susan B,”, the play, is a no-holds-barred exploration of the epic battles, lies and betrayals that took place between the early suffragists and the male power brokers of their time. And in a brief flash-forward to the present, the play also asks: How much has really changed in the power dynamic between men and women?

“Susan B.” is a finalist in the 2020 Julie Harris Playwright Award Competition, and is available for readings and productions during the Suffrage Centennial.

While the play is a work of historical fiction, it is based on two years of my painstaking research. Some of the scenes are taken from condensed transcripts of actual events — Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech; Stanton’s appeal to the New York State constitutional committee; the contentious 1869 American Equal Rights Association meeting; and Anthony’s 1873 “voting while female” trial. But other scenes are imagined, showing highly personal interactions that were never recorded.

In addition to well-known figures such as Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone and Frederick Douglass, the play introduces Phoebe Harris Phellps, the abused wife of a famous Boston abolitionist and state Senator. Phellps was a “fugitive wife” who came to Anthony for help, after her husband imprisoned her in a mental institution for two years. The play also explores Anthony’s little-known relationship with Anna Dickinson, one of the most famous lecturers of her day, who was known as “America’s Joan of Arc.”

Frederick Douglass had a complicated and contentious history with Anthony, and that is also explored in the play. Douglass was no fan of Sojourner Truth, either, and she had her own issues with Douglass. Everything was fraught; nothing was simple or straightforward. This story is both messy, and eerily contemporary. Like today’s women, the suffragists were forced to make difficult decisions under incredibly harsh conditions. They were far from perfect, yet they never looked back, and they rarely apologized.

“Failure is impossible,” Anthony said in her last public speech. Yet she knew, even as she lay dying, that she would not succeed in her lifetime. And as the play suggests in its last few minutes, women have still not reached the “success” part of their story.

A special appeal from Daphne White: If you would like to stage a reading or production of Susan B. please contact me at Daphne@DaphneWhite.com. And if you know anyone at all in the theater world, I would very much appreciate a connection. I hope to see this play produced in as many cities as possible during the 2020 centennial celebrations.

NEWS FLASH: On March 2, 2020 at 7 pm, there will be a reading of Susan B. at Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre in downtown Berkeley, California. The reading will open the Bay Area Women’s Theatre Festival. This will be a three-month event (several shows per weekend). “Susan B” will be the opening event, along with a reception. None of the actual event dates have been released yet, but once tickets are available, the information will be available on SuffrageCentennials.com

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2020 Suffrage Centennial Calendar

This 2020 calendar is available from Syracuse Cultural Workers. Get one now in preparation for 2020. It’s also a terrific holiday or special gift.

Follow the trail to 2020 and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. SuffrageCentennials.com

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Women’s History Month gifts and celebrations lead up to 2020 suffrage centennial!

Across the nation special community and school events are planned during Women’s History Month. Classroom teachers have been scheduling learning opportunities. Special posters, balloons, books, and party favors are available through web sites at historic sites and organizational gift shops.

Zoe Nicholson, for example, is busy during March of 2019 presenting programs about suffrage activist Alice Paul. Check out Zoe’s web site at missalicepaul.com

For example, some of Zoe’s programming…

imagesFollow SuffrageCentennials.com on Facebook page, Twitter, email subscription, and the Quarterly Newsletter. Sign up for email on this web page. Stay up to date with postings, audio podcasts, and videos. Plan for your 2020 suffrage centennial event.

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Breaking News, plus 2020 suffrage centennial is gaining momentum!

NEW MEXICO ORGANIZING FOR 2020

The State of New Mexico is organizing for 2020 with its first planning meeting held in Albuquerque. On the agenda is finding an organization to take responsibility for special programs throughout 2020.

ALICE PAUL INSTITUTE CARRIES ON PAUL’S WORK

The Alice Paul Institute is celebrating Paul’s 134th birthday today, and carrying on her work in the support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

IN SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL NEWS: The UK has listed many sites of suffrage protest on its National Heritage list. This includes Emmeline Pankhurst’s tomb, Bristol Hall, and Her Majesty’s Theatre. Marches, exhibits, theatre, conferences and more marked the UK’s 2018 suffrage centennial where women won partial voting rights, with full suffrage in 1928. In the US, work continues to prepare for the 2020 national suffrage centennial.

Suffrage Centennials features the trends, news, views, and views of the first wave of the women’s rights movement in the US. This video highlights associated interests and concerns. Suffrage Wagon Cafe has monthly programs and videos advocating that we all observe, celebrate, and make the most of 2020 when US women will have been voting, or have had the partial right to vote, for 100 years.

During 2020, a great deal is planned, and we’ll follow the expected events and observances on this web platform, as well as events and programs organized from now to 2020. Celebrate women’s freedom to vote. We worked hard for it and now we’re concerned about fair and honest elections, more women participating in the electoral process, inclusion, diversity, and much more.

Follow SuffrageCentennials.com during 2019.

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Happy New Year from your friends celebrating suffrage centennials!

Looking forward to women’s suffrage centennial celebrations & storytelling! on Vimeo.

Happy New Year from your friends celebrating suffrage centennials and the New Year in 2019!

We will continue bringing 2020 to everyone’s attention. We will honor the many events and celebrations scheduled for 2020 when US women will have been voting for 100 years.

We will keep in mind that in 2023 US women will have been struggling to include equal rights in the US Constitution for 100 years. We will still be concerned about fair and honest elections in 2020. We will be asking why the US doesn’t have a national suffrage medal like New Zealand.

We will support the descendants of the first wave of women’s rights activists. We will get behind efforts to tell the entire story of the struggles of women and their male allies.

We support men in their own liberation struggles to make our personal lives consistent with the broader issues. And we will make New Year’s resolutions consistent with our hopes and dreams!

 

 

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Updates to Suffrage Centennials & news about voting rights !

SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS SUGGEST A GROWING MOVEMENT

The Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Oversight Committee was chartered and commissioned by the Utah Legislature to oversee the creation and placement of a statue of activist Martha Hughes Cannon in National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. To learn more, visit www.sendmartha.com.

We can’t stay on top of the number of events and special programs being planned for 2020. We attempt to pass on a representative sampling.

DENIAL OF VOTING RIGHTS FOR WOMEN, plus voter supression

The celebration of 100 years of women voting in the United States is plagued with attempts to suppress and limit voter rights by special political interests. This also happened following the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution that passed in 1920 when special interests in the South and elsewhere stood in the way of the 19th Amendment extending voting rights based on race and ethnic origins. It took decades during the 20th century to turn some of these suppression efforts aside.

Today, the efforts to deny, suppress, manipulate, and control outcome of elections by gerrymandering still continues. Free and fair elections are still an unrealized goal in the United States. This is why the observance and celebration of suffrage centennials is so important.

THE 2019 WOMEN’S MARCH IN JANUARY!

On January 19, 2019, women, women from across the nation will gather for the annual women’s march. In other locations across the nation, many are also expected to participate in “sister” marches. The location for the main march has been changed. Watch for updates.

State of New York rolled out red carpet for 100 years of women voters in New York State on Vimeo.

What is next from New York State for 2020?

The New York State suffrage commission is empowered through 2020. Other states are also creating 2020 suffrage commissions. Follow Suffrage Centennials for news and views.

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Happy holidays 2018 from Suffrage Centennials!

Happy holidays from Suffrage Centennials. We have been publishing since 2013 and we’re going strong in the direction of 2020, the U.S. suffrage centennial.

During 2018, the UK held an observance of its suffrage centennial where many, but not all of its women citizens, won the right to vote in 1918. France followed in 1944. Unfortunately we aren’t able to cover all suffrage movements around the world. However, if you have an article or news item to share, please get in touch! Expand our sphere of influence.

Let’s get busy during 2019 preparing for 2020 when the US will be observing 100 years of women voting with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution.

Recommended links:

Suffrage Wagon News Channel

Lets Rock the Cradle

Inez Milholland Centennial Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Happy Holidays from your friends at Suffrage Centennials!

 

Have a great holiday season with love from your friends at SuffrageCentennials.com

Visit our sister site:

Suffrage Wagon News Channel that has been publishing since 2009 and it is the home of Suffrage Wagon Cafe and Suffrage Wagon Cooking School.

Contact Marguerite by email: MargueriteKearns at gmail dot com. Phone: 505-300-1002. Consider submitting a point of view for publication and followup by calling directly.

SuffrageCentennials.com is a clearing house on information about the 2020 women’s vote centennial. We note events, programs, and announcements.

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Happy Holidays from your friends celebrating suffrage centennials!

Holiday greetings from your suffrage centennial friends! on Vimeo.

Happy holidays through the New Year from your suffrage centennial friends!

Statue projects commemorating Votes for Women activists are expensive. There are statues popping up all over the US, including statues of Sojourner Truth and Rosalie Jones planned by the State of New York; the statue of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony in NYC’s Central Park; statues of Tennessee’s suffrage activists involved in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution; and more.

A statue project to honor Emily Davison, the UK’s suffrage martyr, is underway. Davison died on June 8, 1913. emilydavisonmemorialproject.wordpress.com

No statue exists or is planned to honor Inez Milholland, the US suffrage martyr, who died in 1916 in California.

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