August 18 2020 marks the hundredth anniversary
of the passage of the 19th amendment, which prohibited
the US government from denying citizens a right to vote
on the basis of sex.
The 19th amendment has long been considered a major milestone
in the history of US democracy for granting American women
the right to vote.
While today, we may take the civil liberty for granted
it's important to acknowledge the decades of struggle
and activism, as well as the history of racism
within the suffrage movement.
Getting the amendment through Congress was a major feat.
On top of the fact that both dominant political parties
resisted women's suffrage for decades
there were also fundamental clashes
within the movement, which focused
on the right of white women to vote
to the point of intentionally excluding the rights of women
of color. In 1919,
after over 70 years of suffragists'lobbying, picketing,
marching, and protesting the House of Representatives
approved an amendment written by Susan B. Anthony guaranteeing
women's enfranchisement.
The Senate followed suit and the amendment
was soon after ratified by the states in August 1920.
While this date marked an important turning point,
many women of color, including southern Black women
continued to be disenfranchised until the passage of the Voting
Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to prohibit
racial discrimination in voting.
Today more than 68 million women vote in US elections thanks
to the work of thousands of brave suffragists
who refused to give up on the right to voting equality.
Though women's rights in America have come a long way
we still have a long ways to go.
And there are still many more battles to be
won. Join us in celebrating this historic anniversary
while also looking towards the future of the women's movement.