Who We Are
Suffrage100MA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. Since 2010, we have been dedicated to commemorating the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which prohibits the federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex. It took a 72-year struggle, by thousands of suffragists, to achieve adoption of the 19th Amendment in August of 1920. Suffrage100MA commemorates and tells the story of the remarkable achievement of the suffragists, including the tireless work and essential contributions of women of color, who were often excluded by white women’s suffrage organizations, and whose role in the suffrage movement has been largely overlooked.
Feature: Suffrage100MA Looking Back and Moving Forward
In 2023, Suffrage100MA will become an online Massachusetts Women’s History Center (MWHC) and Massachusetts Women’s Hall of Fame (MWHOF)! The MWHC and MWHOF will build on our work telling the inclusive stories of the suffragists, and expanding to share inspiring historical and educational information on the important contributions and challenges endured by Massachusetts women of all backgrounds over the centuries, and of major milestones in MA women’s history. The MWHOF will honor women past and present. Our new logo and a sneak preview of the new website will be presented at a gala at the Liberty Hotel on June 14, 2023 at 6:00 pm. Stay tuned for details!
During this transition, Suffrage100MA continues to present events and activities that highlight the history of the women’s suffrage movement and women’s rights.
Suffrage100MA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization that partners and collaborates with many organizations in Massachusetts and throughout the country that amplify women’s history.
Learn more about our mission, goals and team below, or learn more about the following:
Vision
We envision an informed and diverse public engaged in creating an equitable and just democracy for all.
Mission
We work to engage the public about and in the fight for equitable rights of ALL women and marginalized populations in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts historically and today.
Through education, the arts, events and convenings, our goal is to inspire greater civic participation to secure equity and equality for all.
Values
We believe in and strive for:
- Diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging
- The power of education
- Examining the difficult truths of history and owning its impact on today
- Providing opportunities to engage youth in our work
- Partnerships and collaboration
- Voting rights and access to voting for all citizens
- An engaged community as the cornerstone of democracy
Board of Directors
- Fredie Kay, Founder & President
- Mary-dith Tuitt, Vice-President
- Georgina Arrieta-Ruetenik, Secretary and Treasurer
- Hermese Velasquez, Director
- Rosaline Lowe, Director
Advisory Committee
- Beth I.Z. Boland, Partner, Foley & Lardner
- Ann Bookman, Senior Fellow, UMass Boston McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, Former Director UMASS Boston Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy
- Suzanne M. Bump, Former State Auditor, MA
- Martha Coakley, Former Attorney General, MA
- Tania Del Rio, Coordinated Response Team, Office of Mayor Michelle Wu
- Linda Dorcena Forry, Principal of LDF Holdings, LLC
- Allison Goldberg, Barbara Lee Family Foundation
- Sasha Goodfriend, Executive Director, MassNOW
- Judith Kalaora, Founder & Artistic Director, History At Play
- Nicole LaChapelle, Mayor of Easthampton, Massachusetts
- Elizabeth (Liz) Matelski, Associate Professor of History, Endicott College
- Evelyn Murphy, Former Lt. Governor, MA; Boston Women’s Workforce Council Co-Chair
- Mary Olberding, Register of Deeds, Hampshire County
- Colette Philips, President & CEO, Colette Phillips Communications
- Chiquita Rice, President, Monarch Investment Advisors
- Judith Rosenbaum, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Women’s Archive
- Cathy Stone, President, James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation
- Alexandra (Alex) Valdez, Executive Director, Boston Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement
- Jordan Zaslow, Founder & Executive Director at Her Bold Move
- In memory, Margaret (MarDee) Xifaras (1945-2019)
Suffrage100MA Staff
- Maureen Hansen, Associate Director
- Michelle Juralewicz, Program Coordinator
- Pat O’Halloran, Administrative Assistant
- Charisse Thompson, Social Media Associate
Suffrage100MA Interns
- 2021 Charisse Thompson
- 2019 Thalia Neebe
- 2018 Julia Applebaum, Sharon Kane, Thalia Neebe
- 2017 Anna Robinson
- 2016 Alice Janigro
