A Century of Suffrage
Katelyn Colley | OCT. 22, 2020 | OPINIONS
On Aug. 26, 1920, the lives of millions of American women would change forever. After years of struggle, sacrifice, and injustice, the 19th Amendment was officially ratified and enacted in the United States Constitution. While in the end, the amendment was passed by one man, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby, it was preceded by the generational efforts of women across the country. A century later, the very definition of feminism and women’s politics has evolved to encompass much more than what it originally began with.
The 19th Amendment was a monumental step toward gender equality and political rights for females. It gave them a sense of dignity and political participation that continued to evolve over the years. Indeed, the early 20th century feminist movement showcased a group of strong-willed pioneers who became the faces of change. These famous faces, however, were predominantly white women, who shined in the spotlight while women of color and marginalized status quietly carried the movement on their backs.
According to the International Women’s Development Agency, the term “intersectional feminism” outlines a broader form of feminism that proves “discrimination doesn’t exist in a bubble – different kinds of prejudice can be amplified in different ways when put together.” The term has been especially popularized in the 21st century, as many women point out that feminism should include all sexualities, races, disabilities, and backgrounds. This is a far cry from the white-led suffrage movements in 1920, some of which even banned colored women from public protests. Without acknowledging the millions of non-white women who fought for the cause and are still fighting for gender equality today, the 19th Amendment does not carry as much weight.
The year 1920 was a mere stepping stone for marginalized women in America to prove that obtaining the vote for women was not impossible. Black women, for example, did not gain the right to vote until 1965, yet still served as leaders fighting for the suffrage of other racial groups. This selflessness and persistence is nothing new to women of color to this day. The rising coexistence of the women’s rights and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 has proven that the line between these issues may not be as blurry as it seems. Frankly, they never should have been treated as separate entities in the first place. Intersectional feminism aims to correct some of these misconceptions and sends out a powerful message to people across the world: if your idea of feminism is not inclusive, it is not feminism at all.
The 19th Amendment, however, is only significant if it is utilized. I’ve seen many comments and posts on social media saying the amendment was one of the “worst mistakes in history.” This belief is toxically misogynistic and only aims to justify the very patriarchy women have been trying to dismantle for hundreds of years. According to the Pew Research Center, the vote for women has actually been increasingly utilized in election season. The organization noted that in “every U.S. presidential election dating back to 1984, women reported having turned out to vote at slightly higher rates than men.”
In my eyes, there is no doubt that the 19th Amendment was one of the most influential changes to the American legal system. After a century of suffrage, society has since recognized the need for a more inclusive and representative form of feminism, while continuing to build on the foundational principles that were fought for in 1920.