Women’s Equality Day, observed annually on August 26th, commemorates the anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. The holiday not only celebrates the passage of the amendment in 1920, but recognizes the sacrifices made by the trailblazers in the suffrage movement and emphasizes the work that still needs to be done.
Throughout the year 2020, What’s Up? Media will commemorate the centennial year of women earning the right to vote with a celebratory endeavor: The Year of the Woman. Through stories, events, speaker series, and more, we hope to pay homage to the people and moments that paved the way, acknowledge the obstacles still facing women today, and foster meaningful discussions about how we can continue to move upward.
Here’s how you can celebrate Women’s Equality Day and gear up for What’s Up? Media’s Year of the Woman:
Join Us!
We will be hosting an informal discussion and planning session to brainstorm and solidify the content we intend to assign and publish during this year-long campaign. If you’re a writer/journalist interested in participating, please send an email to editor@whatsupmag.com with the subject line “Writers Committee.” For those we haven’t met yet, please include a brief summary of your writing experience and three writing samples. Submissions will be vetted and invitations will be sent to qualified writers.
Spend a day in D.C.
There are several suffrage and suffrage-themed monuments and exhibitions in the nation’s capital. Visit the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality Monument, which was home to the National Woman’s Party for nearly 90 years, or the Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony—the pioneers of the women’s suffrage movement. Check out some of the current exhibitions including Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence at the National Portrait Gallery, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote at the National Archives, and Shall Not be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote at the Library of Congress.
Learn about Maryland women
Discover more about the lives and legacies of some notable Maryland women. Check out Verda’s Place: An Homage to A Valiant Woman at the Banneker-Douglass Museum, an exhibition about Verda Freeman Welcome, the first black woman elected to State Senate. Explore the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway in Dorchester County or Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo. Or, visit Historic St. Mary’s City to learn about Margaret Brent, who is often referred to as North America’s first feminist. To learn more about extraordinary women from Maryland, check out the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame.
Other ways to celebrate
Donate to or volunteer with an organization that supports women and girls or make a purchase at your favorite woman-owned business or restaurant. Head to your local library and pick up some books about women’s history. If you have kids, teach them about the women’s rights movement or choose a historical female figure to study together. Take a moment to reach out and thank the inspiring women in your life.
