By Lauren Upchurch
This is the first of a series of stories to celebrate Women’s History Month. We will post a story every Tuesday and Thursday throughout March, starting after spring break, to celebrate history-making women at Bellarmine.
“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”
These words, the 19th Amendment, might not seem like much at first glance, but behind them are decades’ worth of activism from countless suffragists who put their lives on the line for women’s right to vote.
One hundred years ago—in 1920—women gained their right to vote.
Dr. Kathryn West, who teaches the women and gender studies capstone course called “Women’s Suffrage: Here and Abroad,” said she thought this year would be a perfect time to educate students on the importance of this movement in our county’s history.
To West, a professor of English and co-advisor to the women and gender studies minor, the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment can be summed up in these three words: voice, intersections and determination.
“Before [the 19th century], women did not speak publicly. They would face anything from scorn and ostracization to actual physical harm for trying to do so,” West said.
Despite the fight for suffrage, most people don’t learn much about it in history classes, according to one BU student.
“Though most people know of the women’s suffrage movement and may know of the key players, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, most facts are often glossed over in history classes,” said junior psychology major Samantha Riddle, who is a women and gender studies minor and student in West’s class.
West said she thinks looking at what the U.S. has and has not achieved on the topic of women’s rights is a necessary step when examining the women’s suffrage movement.
“It’s always important to know where we’ve been to help understand where we are and what we still need to do. Studying the women’s suffrage movement shows us how people denied their rights can come to voice, learn to organize, bring people together and get things done,” she said.
Olivia Atkinson, a sophomore history and political science major with a women and gender studies minor, said she enjoys West’s class because it gives her the opportunity to learn about history that is often overlooked.
“I think reflecting on this subject during the centennial of the 19th Amendment is the perfect way to celebrate and honor the women and men who worked diligently to bring a voice to countless women,” Atkinson said.
West said the women’s suffrage movement was about more than just women’s right to vote.
“I wish more people were aware that the suffragists were working on so many things to help better the world, from abolition to end slavery, to temperance, to reduce domestic violence and to a myriad of other reforms,” she said.
West said she thinks it is important for women to educate themselves about the injustices of the past and to use their voices to create positive change for the future, this women’s history month and this year in particular.
“So much to learn here about the process of reform, about diversity, about identity and about basic human dignity,” West said.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, check out these events happening on campus and in the Louisville area:
Some events happening on campus:
March 11: Interfaith Intersections: Women and Faith, 11 a.m. in Hilary’s
March 17: Robyn Ochs: Loosening the Gender Girdle, 4 p.m. in Allen Hall 460 A/B
March 25: The Art of Being a Woman, 7:30 p.m. in Terzo Lounge
March 26: Women in Leadership Banquet, 6 p.m. in Frazier Hall
Some events happening in Louisville:
March 8 through Aug. 26: Shining a Light: Women’s Fight for the Right at The Muhammad Ali Center
March 12 through Dec. 4: BallotBox: A 2020 Contemporary Art Exhibit at Louisville Metro Hall
March 19: What Is a Vote Worth: Suffrage Then and Now, ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., exhibit opening and panel discussion at 5 p.m. at the Frazier History Museum
March 25: Roundtable on how women’s suffrage is presented in public history and educational settings, noon at The Filson Historical Society