This episode originally aired on The Electorette Podcast.
Women's Equality Day is observed on August 26th in the United States, and commemorates the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Virginia Kase Solomón, the CEO of the League of Women Voters and a lifetime champion of civil rights and social justice, joins The Electorette to discuss the history of the women's suffrage movement, the passage of the 19th Amendment, and Women's Equality Day—which they've coined Women's Inequality Day to bring attention to the work that still needs to be done in the fight for equality. Solomón discusses the ways in which narratives around the Women's Suffrage Movement have been romanticized, and suggests ways to discuss this part of our history moving forward. We talk about Affirmative Action, and how the recent Supreme Court decision to end race-conscious admissions will ultimately affect all marginalized groups, including women. Lastly, we discuss the upcoming election cycle, and the importance of full participation, because as Solomón puts it, "We are voting for our lives."
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August 26, otherwise known as Women's Equality Day, marks the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment.
Yet today, fewer rights than they'd had in decades. In August 2022, we launched our campaign for Women's Inequality Day, uniting to demand that lawmakers restore and protect our rights.
Though their work styles are vastly different, each of these women made our country a fairer, more just place.
This week, as we mark the 94th anniversary of the 19th amendment becoming law, let's honor those brave women and men by engaging and empowering all voters to register to vote.