AUSABLE CHASM — The adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government and its states from denying the right to vote to citizens based on sex, was certified on this day in 1920.
Eight local groups come together to commemorate that act on “Women’s Equality Day,” which will held from noon to 1:30 p.m. today at the Ausable Chasm Gazebo, at the top of the hill near the North Star Underground Railroad Museum, 1131 Mace Chasm Rd.
“Two Battles, One Ballot: African American Women and the Struggle for Equal Voting Rights” will be presented by Jacqueline Madison, president of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association.
In her talk, Madison “explores the extraordinary determination of Black women who fought simultaneously against racial discrimination and gender inequality to secure the right to vote. Through stories of courage, resistance, and perseverance, this presentation examines literacy tests, voter intimidation, racial violence, and discriminatory laws that sought to silence their voices. Focusing on the experiences of African American women in the North, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of their vital role in the long struggle for voting rights and the lasting impact of their activism on American democracy,” according to a press release.
“The commemoration of Women’s Equality Day in Clinton County is a collaborative celebration sponsored by eight groups: the League of Women Voters of the North Country, the Clinton County Historical Association, the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, the Champlain Valley Business and Professional Women, the Kent-Delord House Museum, the Saranac Chapter of the DAR, Delta Kappa Gamma Society Psi Chapter and the Women’s Rights Alliance of New York,” Helen Nerska, director of the Clinton County Historical Association, said.
“This nationally recognized day commemorates the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920, which ensured that no one was barred from voting due to their gender. We know this meant white women and black women, but not Native American women, women who had married non-US citizens and Asian women. This would come later. Nonetheless, August 26, 1920, was the finish of a 72-year battle for women as a gender, nationwide, to get the right to vote. We use this day to thank and recognize the many women who fought for this right, share some of the history that followed, and discuss some current issues we need to be aware of.”
Nerska urged attendees to bring their lunch to the gazebo. Later at 6 p.m., she will present “Clinton County Suffragists” at Temple Beth Israel, 1 Bowman St., Plattsburgh.
“The story of how Clinton County women fought for their rights,” she said.