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 March 2021
Dear Suffrage100MA Community,
Suffrage100MA stands with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community and grieves for the eight victims recently murdered in Georgia, six of whom were women of Asian descent. Carry the victims in your hearts, light candles for them, learn about their lives: Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Ziaojie Tan, Delaina Yaun and Young Ae Yue.
The words of this song from the 1949 musical “South Pacific” are more applicable than ever:
You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,
It’s got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
“You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” was a highly controversial song, but thankfully, ultimately included in the show. The song was written to address racism against Asians and all people. The character Lt. Cable, a Caucasian man who has fallen in love with an Asian woman, is distressed by the prejudice against interracial couples and racism in general, sang the song after saying the words “…racism is not born in you! It happens after you’re born…”
James Taylor recorded the song in Nov. 2020.
We must work to end the racism that is “…drummed in your dear little ear…”
In 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans are up almost 150 percent. Discrimination against the Asian community has existed in this country since Asians arrived in the late 19th century. Asians faced discrimination against dignity and equality, and were denied citizenship and the right to vote until the middle of the 20thcentury. After the 19th Amendment was adopted extending the vote to women, discriminatory laws prevented Asian Americans, Native Americans and African Americans from voting for decades and today the crisis for voter accessibility is growing.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “In a backlash to historic voter turnout in the 2020 general election, and grounded in a rash of baseless and racist allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities, legislators have introduced well over four times the number of bills to restrict voting access as compared to roughly this time last year. Thirty-three states have introduced, prefiled, or carried over 165 restrictive bills this year (as compared to 35 such bills in fifteen states on February 3, 2020).”
Suffrage100MA is committed to increasing accessibility to the ballot and inspiring voters to exercise their right to vote by sharing the history of those who fought bravely, sometimes losing their lives, for decades and across centuries, to secure the vote. Let us each recognize the power and importance of voting to express one’s voice
On behalf of the Suffrage100MA Board of Directors –
With deep appreciation to all of you for being on this journey with us,
Fredie Kay
Founder & President, Suffrage100MA
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Thank you to Kevin Friend, producer and director, and Kate Klise, writer, for joining us for a screening and Q&A session on at 7 p.m. on July 22, 2021! And thanks to those who joined us to watch this terrific film!
This program is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
