Note from the Editor | Forward Into the Light
August was recently designated National Women’s Suffrage Month. It’s now been 100 years since the ratification of the 19
th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. The movement began in July of 1848 and took all of 72 years to gain enough state support for ratification. If you ever get to Nashville, Tennessee, check out the statue celebrating the event in downtown’s Centennial Park. (Tennessee was the last state to join the ratification movement, hence the statue).
The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC) is partnering with the National Endowment for the Arts to create a public art project in celebration of the Centennial. Forward Into the Light encourages artists to express themselves in the suffrage colors of purple and gold, on August 26, 2020. Nationally, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and other historic landmarks are participating in the event. You can find more information about the event at https://www.womensvote100.org/forwardintolight.
The anniversary of the 19th Amendment is a good reminder of how important it is for all voices to be heard via the voting process. Be sure to talk to recent high school graduates in your life to make sure they’ve registered to vote. Most 18-year-olds I know can’t wait to vote in their first-ever presidential election.
While we are on the topic of elections, in this month’s Catalyst you will meet SRAI’s 2020 Board of Director candidates. Each candidate brings unique skills and abilities to the table. I encourage you to get to know the candidates by reading their personal statements. Running for any type of office (whether for public or private service) takes guts and fortitude. No matter who comes out victorious in this year’s election, I want to thank each candidate for putting themselves out there by running for Board seats.
Stay tuned for September’s Catalyst to learn about this year’s annual meeting. It will be a meeting like no other and I am excited to learn what the meeting co-chairs have in store for us. Enjoy the rest of the summer and we will see you in September.
Authored by Katie Watkins, M.Ed., Associate Director, Research Admin
University of Akron
SRAI Catalyst Co-Editor
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