LULAC Marks The 100-Year Anniversary Of 19th Amendment
Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Securing the Right to Vote for Women Transformed America
Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today celebrates the centennial anniversary of a woman’s right to vote in the United States which was ratified on August 18, 1920. The victory had taken women since the 1860’s of marches in the streets, protests in the halls of Congress and often meant confrontations with angry men and even other women who said voting would threaten the stability of America’s families.
“We are reminded of what the great women’s suffrage movement leader, Susan B. Anthony said of how future generations would remember their work,” says Sindy Benavides, National Chief Executive Officer. ‘They have no idea of how every single inch of ground that she stands upon today has been gained by the hard work of some little handful of women of the past.’ Indeed, those words ring true today when we see that only six in ten women eligible to vote did so in the presidential election of 2016. This is a deficit LULAC is actively working to change in 2020 and we’re very optimistic as we get ready to launch One Million Latinas Strong, a campaign to create a grassroots network of one million Latinas across the United States and Puerto Rico which aims to turn out Latina registered voters and register new voters,” she added.
Women’s suffrage, their right to vote was a long and arduous process, state-by-state, often courtroom to courtroom. Also, suffragists as they were known, were forced to adopt public actions that included parades, silent vigils and even hunger strike to call attention to their plight and win support from other wives, mothers and daughters afraid to join them for fear of reprisals at home. Ultimately, on August 18, 1920 the 19th Amendment was ratified after three-fourths of the states voted in favor of women voting.
“The women of today all across the United States and Puerto Rico stand on the shoulders of those first few brave leaders who put their aprons down, then picked up their signs and lifted their voices to gain civic equality, the cornerstone of our democracy, the right to vote,” said Elsie Valdes-Ramos, LULAC National Vice-President for Women. “We must never forget the price these women paid, the suffering and ridicule they endured, up to and including violent attacks by some people in society. These opponents could not accept the courage and determination of women who dared to believe they too, had the right to vote. May we today, remember the suffragists and by our example, empower other women to become leaders and continue to create positive change in our communities,” said Valdes.
To sign up for the launch updates, go to One Million Latinas Strong at www.onemillionlatinasstrong.org
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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/