On This Day: Women Granted Right to Vote, Fight for Rights Continues

Aug. 18 will forever be a crucial time in history for the advancement of women’s rights. On Aug. 18^th, 1920, The U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote, but it wasn’t until 1984 that every state in the country got on board.

With current political agendas aiming for women’s rights in 2022, it’s important to reflect on the obstacles women have overcome and how we will continue to do so moving forward.

History of the 19^th Amendment

The 19^th Amendment granted American women the right to vote, but that was just the beginning.

The movement for women’s rights launched on a national level with the Seneca Falls Convention, and the demand for women voters became the focal point of the women’s suffrage movement.

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While the passage of the 19^th amendment was a huge milestone, there was still work to be done. Restrictions were still in place for women of color, barring them from the polls -- and often facing violence when attempting to register to vote.

“It would take more than 40 years for all women to achieve voting equality,” said History Today.

Women Continue to Fight Today

The mid-19^th century saw generations of women in an outcry who were simply demanding a civil privilege that was rightfully theirs.

“Several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution,” said the National Archives.

Now, in 2022, women find themselves marching and lobbying again, defending the constitutional right of “my body, my choice.”

We are taught as children to learn from our mistakes, but as I read the headlines and listen to news reports, I am overcome with grief at the thought of, once again, fighting for what is right.

I do not pretend to be a master of U.S. government or to be highly educated in the judicial system, but on the anniversary of women’s right to vote, I find it necessary to remind others of what raising your voice can do.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Thanks to the fearlessness of women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth, I am able to keep my head high as I walk to the polls every election and have my voice be heard.

Now that women’s rights are on the chopping block once again, I will continue to raise my voice and follow the path previous women paved for us.

To my fellow ladies, never stop fighting for what you believe in. Don’t be afraid to take up space in the room, and never shy away from doing what’s right.

Let’s make our ancestors proud. Thank goodness for Aug. 18, 1920.