title
Proclamation honoring the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
body
WHEREAS, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote, and
WHEREAS, in 1848, women began organizing and collectively fighting for suffrage on a national level. For 72-years, women advocated for the right to vote by marching, protesting, lobbying, and even going to jail; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ratified the 19th Amendment on June 24, 1919 and was one of the original 36 states to do so; and
WHEREAS, the 19th Amendment did not guarantee suffrage for wall women, including Native
Americans who did not get the right to vote until 1924. For Asian Pacific Islander Americans, it was 1952. African-American and Latin Americans experienced voter suppression until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and 1975; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County is home to an estimated 620,010 women; and
WHEREAS, women are vital to the future social, economic, spiritual, and intellectual well-being of our country, and Allegheny County has long appreciated and celebrated the contributions of women to the vibrancy of life in our community; and
WHEREAS, the 19th Amendment has played a crucial role in advancing the rights of all women in Allegheny County, the State of Pennsylvania, and the United States of America;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Members of Allegheny County Council, do hereby honor the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, and we hope it inspires future generations to cherish the historic precedent formed by the 19th Amendment.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto caused the Seal of the County of Allegheny to be affixed this 25th day of August 2020.