Today is the 90th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the day women earned the right to vote. Across the national there are celebration, speeches, acknowledgments, and gathering. But, despite all the fanfare do we realize there is still so much further to go?
Women leaders fought tirelessly making their voices heard in government. It was not just the action taken in the years preceding the momentous ratification of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On the contrary, it was decades of primarily women fighting, demanding, and persuading.
The 90th anniversary of women’s right to vote reminds me of Mary Church Terrell a civil rights pioneer who advocated for suffrage. In fact, she was an active member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and joined arms with other women picketing against injustice. Even after she served as a Washington, DC school board member, she became an active orator and writer.
It seems poignant that fearless women leaders do not see victorious endpoints as a reason to celebrate. On the contrary, they find ways to persevere and press on even when others perceive a celebration is in order.
In cities around the country, there are gathering of fearless women and others who support them.
Rather then celebrating the presence of women in key roles throughout the White House Administration, U.S. Senate, U.S House of Representatives and state legislatures many are re-doubling their efforts to do more. It’s grand that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is third in line to the presidency. It’s wonderful that we have women presidents of universities and corporations and that women own small businesses. Yet, there is still so much work to be done.
Join me today and find ways to acknowledge the accomplishments of amazing and tireless women along with the necessary action still much needed. If you’re interested in finding a fearless women celebration, check out this link. http://www.fearlesswomenmag.com/fearless-women-day.html
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
