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Christmas Day & Inez Milholland 100 years ago: all part of national suffrage movement history

WAMC radio about Inez MilhollandLINK to WAMC public radio feature story about Obama citizens award nomination.

On Christmas Day in 1916, 100 years ago, over one thousand women and men gathered in Washington, D C to honor a fallen young leader. They put their holiday to the side for an emotional memorial service for suffrage martyr Inez Milholland Boissevain in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. It was the first time a woman was honored there.

At the Statuary Hall memorial service on Christmas Day 1916, California suffrage activist Maude Younger presented the eulogy for Inez and declared, “Liberty cannot die. No work for liberty can be lost. It lives on in the hearts of the people, in their hopes, their aspirations, their activities. It becomes part of the life of the nation. What Inez Milholland has given to the world lives on forever.”

After refusing to cancel an intense speaking tour for the 19th Amendment in 1916, Milholland collapsed and died in Los Angeles on November 25 of exhaustion and pernicious anemia. Her shocked colleagues immediately mourned her as a martyr to the cause of justice and women. Milholland was buried near the family home in Lewis, New York. She was born in Brooklyn in 1886 and graduated from Vassar College and New York University School of Law. Milholland practiced law in New York City in addition to advocating for American women’s voting rights.

NOMINATION OF INEZ MILHOLLAND FOR PRESIDENTIAL CITIZENS MEDAL PENDING AT THE WHITE HOUSE

U.S. women have worked hard during 2015 and 2016 to win support for a Presidential Citizens Medal for Milholland, an effort that U.S. Representative Jackie Speier of California endorsed in November 2015. The Milholland petition supporting the nomination has been submitted to the White House for consideration.

For the past year, the National Women’s History Project, located in Santa Rosa, California, has sponsored the campaign to draw attention to Milholland and other suffrage activists who contributed to the enfranchisement of women. Marguerite Kearns and Robert P.J. Cooney Jr. are co-chairs of the NWHP Inez Milholland centennial campaign (InezMilhollandCentennial.com).

“A MEDAL AFFIRMS OUR RICH LEGACY…”

Molly Murphy MacGregor, executive director and co-founder of the National Women’s History Project, noted: “I have sent a holiday greeting thanking Rep. Speier for her valuable support and urging her to make recognizing Inez Milholland with a Presidential Citizens Medal a priority. A presidential medal affirms our rich legacy in the area of American history.”

Over one thousand individuals and organizations from around the nation and from other parts of the world have signed the campaign’s petition in support of the award. The campaign’s momentum accelerated after the April 2016 release of “Forward into Light,” a 15-minute documentary by filmmaker Martha Wheelock about the life and death of Inez Milholland. The DVD is available free from InezMilholland.org.

Follow InezMilhollandCentennial.com, InezMilholland.org, RememberingInez.com, SuffrageWagon.org.

Suffrage CentennialsimagesFollow 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 suffrage centennial event. And don’t forget to pass on women’s suffrage storytelling to the next generation. Suffrage Centennial videos on Vimeo.

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History activism: The example of Inez Milholland & Obama’s citizens medal!

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Thank you for your support of Obama presidential medal for Inez Milholland! on Vimeo.

Music on the above video by Eighty Bug, the Suffragist Sisters et. al. The “Spirit of 1776.”

NYS suffrage centennialThe celebration of American history isn’t only a dry and dusty affair. More organizations and web platforms than ever are engaging in history activism. SuffrageCentennials.com has been focusing on digital technology and social media to take the message of women’s history to a wider audience. We’ve been partnering with individuals and organizations, a cooperative effort that has already resulted in significant gains.

History activism is seen in such recent efforts as to kickstart planning for the 2020 suffrage centennial, support the New York State suffrage centennial in 2017, and the campaign for a presidential citizens medal for Inez Milholland from President Obama so that we can write American suffrage martyr Inez Milholland into American history, and much more.

Follow InezMilhollandCentennial.com, InezMilholland.org, RememberingInez.com, SuffrageWagon.org.

Suffrage CentennialsimagesFollow 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 suffrage centennial event. And don’t forget to pass on women’s suffrage storytelling to the next generation. Suffrage Centennial videos on Vimeo.

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Santa involved with Inez Milholland citizens medal award & President Obama!

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Santa and the Inez Milholland citizens medal! on Vimeo.

Citizens Medal Petition2-speier3-speier

Check the InezMilhollandCentennial.com web site for updates.

Suffrage CentennialsimagesFollow 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 suffrage centennial event. And don’t forget to pass on women’s suffrage storytelling to the next generation. Suffrage Centennial videos on Vimeo.

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Holiday gift ideas, plus we’re asking Santa & Obama about a citizens medal!

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ASK SANTA AND PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR A CITIZENS MEDAL FOR INEZ MILHOLLAND!

TREAT SOMEONE WITH A GIFT OF A TRIP TO THE CRADLE OF THE WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES DURING 2017, THE NYS SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL!

Let’s Rock the Cradle by taking a trip! on Vimeo.

OTHER GIFT IDEAS INCLUDE:

BOOKS: The Inez Milholland film by Martha Wheelock and Wild West Women. There are more books than ever available about the suffrage movement. There are treasures in the catalogue of women’s history books and memorabilia in the UK. Or visit the search engine on your laptop or smart phone and start browsing. The National Women’s History Project has a gift shop, in addition to most suffrage-related historic sites. You might get started by looking at a few examples: The women’s suffrage postcard book by Kenneth Florey. “Jailed for Freedom” by Doris Stevens. A book about the anti-suffrage movement by Susan Goodier. “Winning the Vote” by Robert P.J. Cooney is a basic reference book on the movement. And there is so much more!

DONATIONS: Support the planning and building of the Turning Point Suffrage Memorial. Think about contributing to the kitty funding the 15-minute film by filmmaker Martha Wheelock that is being distributed free about Inez Milholland, America’s suffrage martyr. Lend a hand to the proposed statue of women planned for Central Park in NYC.

HAVE YOU VISITED ROCHESTER, NY TO SEE THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY HOUSE? Or the Matilda Goslyn Gage home in Fayetteville, New York? When you plan a trip to the “Cradle” of the women’s rights movement in the United States, there are many choices from east to west of the Finger Lakes region in NYS and then back again. And there are scads of women’s historic sites across the nation. Check out the “Travel” page on SuffrageCentennials.com

Celebrate Susan B. Anthony’s Trial for Illegal Voting on Vimeo.

Suffrage CentennialsimagesFollow 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 suffrage centennial event. And don’t forget to pass on women’s suffrage storytelling to the next generation. Suffrage Centennial videos on Vimeo.

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