As I was filling out my planner the other day to get ready for a new semester, I noticed that August 26th had the words “Women’s Equality Day” written under it. I had never even heard of Women’s Equality Day before, so I was intrigued and decided to find out more.
In August of 1920, the 19th Amendment became ratified in our country. The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, and was years in the making. In 1973, Congress designated August 26th as Women’s Equality Day. The day is meant to commemorate the passing of the 19th Amendment and admire the effort that women have put in and continue to put in toward reaching full equality.
This year marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment became ratified, and the 48th year of Women’s Equality Day. Women’s Equality Day can be celebrated with speakers, displays, or other activities. This was something I was unaware of, and I’m sure many others were unaware of as well.
According to nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org, “the significance of the woman suffrage campaign… [has] been largely ignored in the telling of American history. It is a story that needs to be told.” Women had to go to great lengths to achieve their goal by getting the 19th Amendment passed, and it is something that I personally didn’t learn a whole lot about in high school.
Now more than ever, we are living in a time of trying to achieve full equality. It’s important to take a moment to recognize and appreciate those who came before us who wanted to make our world a better place. Their hard work and perseverance is something that should be recognized.
If you would like to take part in celebrating the Women’s Suffrage Centennial, you can use this link to read about some events and things taking place throughout the country.