The East Los Angeles-Montebello Business and Professional Women celebrates August 26th as “Women’s Equality Day.” This is the day in 1920 that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote was finally ratified 72 years after the first major women’s rights conference in Seneca, New York in 1848. This is the only place in the Constitution where women are mentioned.

According to the National Women’s History Project, “The woman suffrage amendment was introduced for the first time to the United States Congress on January 10, 1878. It was re-submitted numerous times until finally in June 1919 the amendment received approval from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Over the following

year the suffragists spent their time lobbying states in order to have the amendment ratified by the required two-thirds of the states. On August 24th, Tennessee, the final state needed for ratification, narrowly signed the approval by one vote. The vote belonged to Harry Burn, who heeded the words of his mother when she urged him to vote yes on suffrage. The U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the amendment into law on August 26, 1920.” The suffragists did more than regular lobbying to get the amendment passed in Congress. They demonstrated in front of the White House. They were arrested and went on hunger strikes. They were forced fed when they refused to eat. All this went into passing the Amendment so in the upcoming election, make sure you register to vote and vote. Do not give up the right that was fought for by these women and men.

For more information about East Los Angeles-Montebello Business and Professional Women, contact Linda Wilson at lindalwilson@juno.com.