Today's DAR
Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul were two of the many Daughters who worked to gain the right to vote for women. Their tireless work paved the way for all of us to be allowed to make choices and make a difference through the power of the ballot – and this month, we celebrate the centennial anniversary of their hard-won accomplishment.
Ladies: Exercise Your Right to Vote!
Women received the right to vote on August 26, 1920, with the passage of the 19th Amendment. This day is now known as “Women’s Equality Day,” and we are celebrating its 100th anniversary later this month. Have you requested a Proclamation from your mayor or governor? A sample is available in the 19th Amendment Centennial Toolbox to commemorate this event.
DAR members have enjoyed a full year of marking the centennial, which launched at Continental Congress in 2019, when an interactive photo booth with buttons, hats and sashes allowed Daughters to capture their Congress experience at Service to America night. It was a joy to see the sharing of members photos on social media sites with the #DARvote100 tag!
Throughout the course of the last year, chapters and states staged many significant and meaningful events that were reported to the Commemorative Events Committee. National awards were presented to three chapters.
- Lily of the Cahaba Chapter, AL- hosted a state meeting and one of the highlights was a “Suffragette Strut” hat contest.
- Cascade Chapter, WA - highlighted women’s rights at every meeting with a report and a Susan B. Anthony full size display.
- Nipissing Chapter, MI - participated in summer rallies that engaged and educated the community.
Other outstanding activities by chapters included:
- Jean Marie Cardinell Chapter, IA - 19th Amendment calendar
- Cheyenne Chapter, WY - rededication of a suffrage historic plaque
Mount Ariel Chapter, SC - voter registration for new citizens dressed as suffragists.
Daughters, please continue to “Shine the Light” on the 19th Amendment by promoting and celebrating Women’s Suffrage through 2021. Find resources in the 19th Amendment Centennial Toolbox here.
But most important: remember to vote, a right that was won on our behalf by the women who went before us as engaged citizens in our republic. Did you know that in the last five midterm elections dating back to 1998, women have turned out to vote at slightly higher rates than men? Over half of women (55%) who were eligible to vote cast their ballots in the 2018 midterms; as compared to 51.8% of men, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s the good news; the bad news? 45% of eligible women failed to cast a ballot in these contests.
So, be an informed voter -- exercise your ability to make a difference in our nation by registering and voting. This is a fundamental responsibility of citizenship in the United States – one that our Patriot ancestors won on our behalf.
