Zoe Nicholson has devoted her life to studying Quaker activist Alice Paul, and she notes that many Quakers even haven’t heard about her. If you are interested in including Quaker women in the 2020 women’s rights centennial celebrations, consider inviting Zoe Nicholson to a special program. Zoe has been presenting programs on Alice over the past few years. And when preparing for 2020, you can check with Zoe to see when she is available.
Alice was controversial during her lifetime, and she still gets headlines now. There are other programs and special events to consider for 2020. This is a good choice to consider.
Do you know of a Quaker woman, place or event, that deserves a historic marker? This is one way to reach our goal of making Quaker women visible during the 2020 voting rights centennial.
The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (NCWHS) and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation have partnered to launch a new historic marker program commemorating the history of women’s suffrage in the U.S The Pomeroy Foundation, a private, grant-making foundation based in Syracuse, NY, is providing grants through its National Women’s Suffrage Marker Grant Program. The purpose is to recognize historically significant people, places or things across the United States instrumental to women gaining the right to vote. Suffrage was a national movement involving a diversity of women and men from all walks of life.
Historic markers awarded through the program will highlight sites on the National Votes for Women Trail (NVWT). The NVWT, a project of the NCWHS, identifies the many sites that were integral to the suffrage movement, and makes them accessible on a mobile friendly website to be easily searched by location, suffragist, ethnicity, and other useful criteria.
If you have an idea for a historic marker to commemorate women’s suffrage in your community, please contact your NVWT State Coordinator to begin the nomination process: https://ncwhs.org/votes-for-women-trail/state-coordinators/. You can also contact the NCWHS directly: https://ncwhs.org/about/contact-us/. Municipalities, nonprofit academic institutions and 501(c)(3) organizations are especially encouraged to submit a nomination. Pomeroy Foundation signage grants are fully funded and cover the entire cost of a marker, pole and shipping. The local partner is responsible for installation of the marker.
Here are some ideas about how to begin planning now for the 2020 women’s vote centennial. You will probably have your own ideas. If you know of local Quaker women, in addition to the most well-known activists, now is the time to get busy networking. You can also contact the Women’s History Alliance (formerly the National Women’s History Project) for suggestions of available programs and other suggestions. This is from the Gazette published by the Women’s History Alliance promoting the 2020 suffrage centennial.
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As Quaker women we are not yet in the forefront of planning for the 2020 centennial of women’s voting rights in the United States. It isn’t too late. A great deal has been going on behind the scenes for several years. There haven’t been many Quaker women involved in this first phase. However, this is our last opportunity to get involved because August 26, 2020 will be upon us before too long.
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Take a look at this link of resources which will give you an idea of what’s going on now. Important Links.
Brainstorm with others about how you can schedule an event, a program, publish a letter to the editor of your local paper, schedule a speaker or workshop. Has your Quaker Meeting had a member or attender who was involved in the US suffrage movement? Did they march in the Quaker division of women’s suffrage parades? I bet you didn’t know that both Quaker women and men were involved. That’s another reason to follow QuakerWomen.com
As Quaker women, we haven’t taken a back seat. We only haven’t shown our spirit in writing ourselves and our ancestors into history as the nation prepares for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment in 2020. The celebrations across the nation in 2020 will represent a highly visible presidential election year when women will be in the limelight. Our first step involves the recognition that we must get busy. Join us!
This year, 2019, is the time to write Quaker women into history so that this legacy will be visible during 2020, the 100th year of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. We’re getting started by spreading the word. And that is—how are we bringing Quaker women into our awareness as 2020 approaches? We have all of 2019 to get ready and nail down the details.
Join us during 2019 to start planning how you, your Quaker monthly, yearly, and regional meetings can participate in the 2020 national celebration of 100 years of women voting in the US. Many Quaker women were involved. Let’s bring our terrific history out into the light.
We need a visible presence during the 2020 women's rights centennial!
