Announcing Many Facets: America’s Women Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

Enacted on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution prohibits the states and the federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. This seminal legal precedent opened the legislative door for women to vote, run for office, and assume the mantle of leadership in our society.

NAPE and its partners recognize that enactment did not grant all women the constitutional right to vote. Women of color, particularly African American women, did not gain the right to vote until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 45 years later.

NAPE understands what Suffragettes, both African American and white, knew early on: There is nothing stronger than the voice and vote of a woman. In “Many Facets,” we hear the voices of contemporary women who celebrate the heroic women who forged a path for American democracy; pioneers like Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, Barbara Jordon, Ann Richards and Patsy Mink. Now, it is our turn to honor these foremothers of democracy by sharing the voices of 21st century trailblazers who live the mantra, “Lifting as we climb.”

Our essays pay homage to the historic achievements of 20th Century women leaders as we recognize a new generation of American women’s voices within the pages of “Many Facets.”