Celebrate the milestone with parades and programs honoring 100 years of women's right to vote
The 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, and officially added to the constitution on Aug. 26, 1920. Celebrate this milestone with events around the suburbs.
Suffragists on Parade:
2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, in downtown Naperville. Join the League of Women Voters of Naperville in commemorating the activism of suffragists whose driving trips across the country drew attention to the fight for the vote. Suffragists fighting for the vote for women needed to find ways to attract attention to the cause. One way was to organize driving trips across the country, stopping at big cities and small, including one stop in Naperville. Commemorate those efforts as some of the League suffragists will drive around Naperville. They will be driving in Model T Fords. Visit www.facebook.com/leagueofwomenvotersnaperville/.
A Portrait of Persistence:
1 to 5 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays to Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays in the second-floor gallery at Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave. “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence,” a poster exhibition from the Smithsonian, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment by exploring the complexity of the women's suffrage movement and the relevance of this history to Americans' lives today. Registration is required at www.elmhursthistory.org. Face masks must be worn at all times.
'Rightfully Hers':
1 to 5 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays to Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays outside the Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave. “Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote,” an exhibit from the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. Also created to commemorate the passing of the 19th Amendment, “Rightfully Hers” highlights the relentless struggle of diverse activists throughout U.S. history to secure voting rights for all American women. This four-panel display is a smaller version of the full-scale exhibition on display this year at the National Archives Museum. www.elmhursthistory.org.
Suffrage colors light up carillon:
The League of Women Voters Naperville is partnering with the Friends of Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon in celebrating the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The Millennium Carillon at 443 Aurora Ave. in Naperville, is lit up in the suffrage colors of purple, white and gold through Aug. 31. In addition, the league has banners on lightpoles in downtown Naperville celebrating the centennial of women's right to vote. At the Aug. 18 Naperville City Council meeting on Zoom, they proclaimed Aug. 26 as the “Centennial Anniversary of Women's Suffrage” and as “Naperville's Herstory Day” in celebration of women and their contributions to the city. Keep your eyes on the Naperville Century Walk statues. In a couple weeks you may see them wearing sashes in support of “Votes for Women!” Visit ww.facebook.com/leagueofwomenvotersnaperville/.
Louisa May Alcott:
2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. Batavia Public Library continues its “Sundays on Stage” series with a living history portrayal of Louisa May Alcott, the writer, abolitionist, suffragist and Civil War nurse. Leslie Goddard portrays Alcott in a program that draws from Alcott's own diaries, books, and letters to bring the passionate, humorous, and progressive author to life. Register at bataviapubliclibrary.org and get a link to this YouTube program.
Votes for Women:
7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24. Naperville Public Library offers this Zoom program with Leslie Goddard exploring the long struggle from when the call was first issued at Seneca Falls in 1848 to when women finally gained suffrage in 1920. In “Votes for Women - The 72-Year Struggle for Women's Suffrage,” learn how women worked tirelessly, giving speeches, writing letters and petitions, gathering signatures and persevering in the face of the strident opposition in this illustrated slide lecture. Register at www.naperville-lib.org.
Symposium on the 19th Amendment:
7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. A virtual symposium on “Rights, Responsibilities and Roadblocks: Critical Stories Leading to the Passage of the 19th Amendment and Beyond,” hosted by Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, in partnership with the Woman's Club of Evanston and Women's Vote 100 Evanston. Panelists include retired Cook County circuit court Judge Carole Kamin Bellows, state Sen. Laura Fine, and writer/historian Rima Lunin Schultz. Cook County 9th Subcircuit Judge Abbey Romanek, a daughter of Holocaust survivors and board member of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, will introduce panelists. Register at www.ilholocaustmuseum.org.
Women Who Made History:
7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26. Historian Diana Dretske tells the stories of Lake County women and their noteworthy accomplishments in social activism, preservation, military service, and more. Highlights include: Ethel Untermyer, who led the movement to establish the Lake County Forest Preserves; Bess Bower Dunn, the county's first designated historian; Clara Colby, the first woman to officially vote in Illinois; and Janice Christensen, test pilot in the Women's Air Force Service Pilots of World War II. Registration is required at fremontlibrary.org.
'Why Women Should Vote':
Opening Wednesday, Aug. 26. Jane Addams Hull-House Museum is hosting two virtual exhibits, “Why Women Should Vote” and “True Peace: the Presence of Justice.” Gail Borden Public Library, Aurora Public Library and Schaumburg Twp. District Library join Reaching Across Illinois Library System in showcasing the exhibits. See the virtual and audio tour via www.gailborden.info/womenvote.
Women's History - Hindsight is 2020:
7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26. Aug. 26 marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment was passed, granting American women the right to vote in all elections. “Ellie Presents” focuses on the influence of trade and teacher's unions, women in higher education, fundraising through cookbooks and bazaars, marches, songs, letter writing campaigns and how women's influence over the voting men in their lives brought about the reform. This program will take place online on Zoom. Register at www.schaumburglibrary.org. If the event is full, watch it live streamed on SchaumburgLibrary.tv.
Women's Equality Day:
Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St. “Women's Equality Day, Naper Settlement's Women: Waves of Change” exhibit will open. To commemorate the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment's passage, the exhibit will explore the stories of women, past and present, who were and are foundational in the formation and development of Naperville and beyond. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Settlement admission is free for Naperville residents with ID, kids younger than 4; $12 for ages 13 or older; $10 for ages 62 or older, and $8 for ages 4 to 12. Visit napersettlement.org.
'Evanston Women and the Fight for the Vote':
10 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26. Evanston History Center curator Lori Osborne will give a tour of the exhibit via Facebook Live. Includes unveiling of the National Votes for Women Trail historic marker for Evanston suffragist Catharine Waugh McCulloch. The exhibit will reopen Aug. 26 from noon to 4 p.m., telling the story of Evanston women and their strategic and critical work for women's suffrage. It features archival resources, artifacts and costumes from the museum collection. Reservations are required at www.facebook.com/evanstonhistorycenter/.
Park Ridge League benefit:
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the Park Ridge League is hosting a fundraiser from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at Harp & Fiddle, 110 Main St., Park Ridge. Mention the League of Women Voters of Park Ridge when dining in person or ordering carryout and a portion of the proceeds from your meal will be donated to the organization. The League of Women Voters of Park Ridge is part of the League of Women of Women Voters of Illinois. Founded in 1920, it is one of the nation's oldest and most respected nonpartisan civic engagement organizations. To find out more, visit lwvpr.org. Membership is open to any person 16 years of age or older.
'“Rightfully Hers':
Noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Evanston History Center, 225 Greenwood St. Pop-up exhibit from the National Archives commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. It contains simple messages exploring the history of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, women's voting rights before and after the 19th, and its impact today. Reservations are required at www.facebook.com/evanstonhistorycenter/.
League celebrates 19th Amendment:
1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, via Zoom. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote with suffragists Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells and Alice Paul, Known for their activism for women's suffrage, these strong women will share their experiences that culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment. Learn how Alice Paul used hunger strikes to make her voice heard among lawmakers and politicians. Hear how Ida B. Wells came to Chicago and worked to secure the rights of African American women. Listen to Susan B. Anthony talk about her travels across the United States to build support for a constitutional amendment. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County, all are welcome to attend this live, 40-minute presentation. Email info@LWVCKC.org for a link before noon Aug. 29.
'Ballots of Power':
On exhibit through April 10, 2021, at the DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton. In “Ballots of Power: A Century of Women's Suffrage,” learn how DuPage women have influenced politics on the local, state, and national levels since the passage of the 19th Amendment. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Suggested donation of $5; $2 for children and seniors. dupagemuseum.org
Women's Suffrage exhibit:
2 to 4 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays, by appointment only, at the Dundee Township Historical Society Museum, 426 Highland Ave., West Dundee. See the exhibit on the fight for women's right to vote. It began with the Temperance Movement in the 1820s and most actively from 1848 until the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1920. Face mask and safe distancing rules required. Visit dundeetownshiphistorical.org.
'Do-It-Yourself Suffrage March':
Between Aug. 18-26. The 19th Amendment was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920. and officially added to the constitution on Aug. 26, 1920. Go on a walk, hike or bike ride and wear or carry something that proclaims how you feel about the 100th anniversary of women voting in the United States. Go 1.9 miles or some other combination of 19 in honor of the 19th Amendment. Post a photo on Facebook and share with the Evanston Women's History Project. Visit evanstonwomen.org.
Alice Paul - Winning Votes for Women:
Alice Paul (1885-1977) was a dynamic suffragist leader who used radical techniques and strategies to help win American women the right to vote in 1920. First-person presenter and historian Leslie Goddard will give a dramatic portrayal of this amazing feminist, activist, and important figure in the U.S. This online program starts on Sept. 27 and will be available through Oct. 11 at www.elmhursthistory.org.