19th Amendment Centennial
In 2020, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S Constitution, which guaranteed many women in the United States the right to vote. However, the suffragettes’ fight started much further back than that - the women’s rights movement began organizing at the national level in 1848, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. It took them 72 years, finally succeeding in 1920, to receive this most fundamental and important democratic right of a citizen. For women of color, they fought even longer.
Celebrate With Dr. Ellen Carol DuBois
To honor the anniversary and all the brave women who fought to win their rights, San Mateo County Libraries is proudly celebrating this important milestone by inviting Dr. Ellen Carol DuBois to present a virtual talk with our community on Saturday, August 22 at 1 PM. A Distinguished Research Professor of History and Gender Studies at UCLA, Dr. DuBois has been researching and writing about the woman suffrage movement for her entire career. Join us as she presents a fresh perspective on the long struggle for women's voting rights. Her latest book, Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote, is available from our collection.
As part of this virtual event, you have the opportunity to purchase, opens a new window Dr. DuBois’s Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote as well as Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Eighty Years and More: Reminiscences 1815-1897 which includes an introduction by Dr. Dubois. Proceeds from these sales will support Florey’s Books in Pacifica, opens a new window and the Foundation for San Mateo County Libraries, opens a new window. Books will be shipped directly to your home.
Dr. DuBois and San Mateo County Libraries have also compiled book lists for adults, teens, and children to enjoy with friends and family while furthering your understanding of this historical event.
Share What You Are Reading With Us!
We understand that the 19th Amendment while recognizing women’s right to vote, did not guarantee that all women and men in the United States could vote. Securing this essential right is a struggle that continues to this day. To commemorate the fight for voting equality, join us for Book, Please! Women and the Vote on Wednesday, August 26 at 4 PM. Book, Please! is a casual book share where we discuss and recommend books. In this session, we are discussing what we are reading on the topics of women, voting rights and equality. In particular, we want to honor the contributions of women of color in the fight for the vote.
We look forward to seeing you!
