Mayfield: The vote opened the door, the fight for equality continues

The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution is one of the most important changes in the history of our nation.

While the fight for complete equality continues, the 19th Amendment permanently opened the door for women to take our rightful place in society.

The 19th Amendment did not come easily. In the mid-19th century, the ability for African American Women to vote ran into a racist brick wall. This did not stop them from stepping up. African American leaders such as Ida B. Wells and Sojourner Truth inspired others and helped grow the numbers across the nation of women of every hue calling for the right to vote. They formed organizations, wrote articles, protested side by side and used their influence with prominent leaders in society to get the message out. Women deserved to be seen as equals. They refused to give up.

Recognizing the right of women to vote was a great victory for all women and provided a sense of unity and value that still exists today. Women have continued to stand together for fair wages, education, equality, choice ... the better ideals of our democracy.

The 19th Amendment put us on a path where through time, we have had outstanding women leaders who helped shaped this nation. Today we have leaders such as Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez and countless others.

As the first African-American woman to serve as the 60th District state representative, I have the honor of serving in the General Assembly with 64 amazing women. This would not have been possible without the dedication of the leaders of yesterday.

The 19th Amendment helped to bring African American women to where we are today and we will continue to help shape history.

Rita Mayfield is a state representative from Waukegan.