FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Michelle Juralewicz
Suffrage100MA
(617) 721-4014
michelle.juralewicz@suffrage100ma.org
League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and Suffrage100MA Present Women’s History Month Event at Gloucester Stage
Celebration will feature suffragist film, panel discussion and Black suffragists exhibit
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (March 14, 2023) — In honor of Women’s History Month, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA) and Suffrage100MA are presenting a Women’s History Month Celebration on Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 at the Gloucester Stage Company in Gloucester, MA. The event will include a screening of Suffrage100MA’s film, “The Fight for Women’s Suffrage: Looking Back, Marching Forward,” followed by a panel discussion, exhibit on Black suffragists and reception. Event co-sponsors include local chapters of LWVMA, the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition, and the North Shore Juneteenth Association.
The panel discussion, “The Work Continues!”, will be moderated by Pattye Comfort, Executive Director of LWVMA, with panelists Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, Executive Director of MassVOTE; Sasha Goodfriend, Executive Director of Mass NOW; Fredie Kay, Founder/President of Suffrage100MA; and Nicole McClain, Founder/President of North Shore Juneteenth Association. There will also be a featured exhibit, “Tower of Strength: Black Women of the Suffrage Movement” presented by North Shore Juneteenth Association, and a reception with light refreshments.
“We are thrilled to commemorate the history of women’s voting rights and discuss how we can collectively work to break down voting barriers that still exist here in Massachusetts,” says Pattye Comfort, LWVMA Executive Director. “By bringing together some of the leading organizations for feminist rights in Massachusetts, this event is sure to spark unique ideas.”
“Women’s History Month is the perfect opportunity to show our film which tells the story of the suffrage movement and highlights the many untold stories of women of color who worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage, but unfortunately faced exclusion by many white organizations,” says Fredie Kay, Suffrage100MA Founder & President. “And while voting access has greatly improved historically, we need to examine the challenges today that limit voting access. The work is not done!”
Doors open at 5:15 pm, film and panel program will run 6-7:30 pm, followed by reception 7:30-8 pm. Admission is $25 by March 23rd and $30 after March 23rd. Proceeds will support 8th – 12th grade students at the inaugural Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase at Clark University on June 2, 2023. Registration available at: https://lwvma.org/womens-history-month-event-registration/
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About League of Women Voters of Massachusetts
The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA) is a nonpartisan organization whose mission, for more than 100 years, has been to empower voters and defend democracy for all in Massachusetts. LWVMA encourages informed and active participation in government, increases understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. lwvma.org/
About Suffrage100MA
Suffrage100MA is dedicated to commemorating the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920, prohibiting the federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex. Suffrage100MA presents events and activities that highlight the history of the women’s suffrage movement and women’s rights, notably 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. Suffrage100MA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization, with over 200 non-profit Partners, committed to recognizing the importance of the 19th Amendment, voting rights and access to voting today. Suffrage100MA is transitioning into the Massachusetts Women’s History Center and Massachusetts Women’s Hall of Fame. Learn more at Suffrage100MA.org.
March 2021