The suffrage anniversary arrives this August with many events in Illinois and beyond. Stay connected as we update this website with event listings as they develop.
Connect with some of the many national suffrage events through links below.
National Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission
The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission will commemorate 100 years of the 19th Amendment and women’s constitutional right to vote with National Women’s Suffrage Month throughout August. Dozens of free virtual programs and events are planned between Aug. 1 through Sept. 2.
The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission will be highlighting the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites’ National Votes for Women Trail with a webinar on Thursday, August 13 at 12pm EST. Here’s what WSCC has to say about this exciting opportunity: “The National Votes for Women Trail is uncovering women’s history sites across the United States, and we’re sitting down with them…for a virtual brown bag lunch to learn about the Trail’s plans to place historic markers at suffrage sites and how you can get involved!” Register for the webinar here. More than 50 Illinois sites are on the trail and at least five will be marked with historical markers this year.
Suffrage Centennial Podcasts
Actresses Rosario Dawson and Retta will co-host “And Nothing Less: The Untold Stories of Women’s Fight for the Vote” and gymnast and advocate Aly Raisman will host “The Magic Sash,” a time-traveling historical adventure for tweens. The National Park Service will provide companion materials for each podcast. More here.
She Votes! digs into the complex history of the women’s suffrage movement and its enduring significance, hosted by award-winning journalists Ellen Goodman and Lynn Sherr.
National Women’s History Alliance
A new guide published by the NWHA outlines the many centennial celebrations across the U.S. Despite the pandemic, countless events, real and virtual, will mark next month’s historic anniversaries and the months that follow. Online events will make many of these diverse, widespread celebrations easily accessible as never before.
More here.
Other Projects
The Smithsonian, Library of Congress, and National Archives are launching a campaign to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment on social media. Find and follow them for more – and use the hashtag #19SuffrageStories.
#SuffrageSyllabus
The Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America has launched the #SuffrageSyllabus, a collaborative teaching resource on the intersectional history of women and voting in the United States. The syllabus includes lesson plans, primary and secondary sources. https://long19.radcliffe.harvard.edu/teaching/suffrage-syllabus/
Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument and ‘Talking Statues’ Announcement
The Women’s Rights Pioneers monument is set to be unveiled on Central Park’s Literary Walk on August 26, 2020, the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. This will be the first statue depicting real women in Central Park. The monument will be included in the ‘Talking Statues’ with an all star cast providing the voices. The monument was designed by sculptor Meredith Bergmann. To read the full press release, click here.
Suffrage 2020 Illinois 