To put this in context, the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788. The 19th Amendment of the same U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1919. Women had no voice in government for 131 years. And I need to me be clear that it was white women who got the right to vote in 1919. I love Susan B. Anthony who worked her butt off to get women the vote, but her path seems like a cake walk next to the path of African American women. A path that included the 13th, 15th, 19th Amendments and the Voting Rights Act. How bittersweet that the African American women who helped get the 19th Amendment passed, likely never got to vote. It took two more generations until their granddaughters got the right to vote with the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
On this Women’s Equality Day, I ask you to take time to look for hidden stories on women’s history that may not have gotten a footnote* in the history that you were taught. If you aren’t registered to vote, make it happen so that you have a voice in government. Join me in creating a society where all women are truly equal.
Visit League of Women Voters to register to vote and get educated on how to vote!
www.lwv.org
Liz Lemesevski
helps small business understand and make money. She started her company, Money Native, to help nontraditional business types shape their bright future. She specializes in cash flow improvement, budgeting and managing business loans. Liz truly speaks the language of money with both a BS and MBA in Finance. She spent over 20 years managing high net worth individuals and pension fund money as volunteers time as the Chair of Fundraising for SCORE San Diego.
