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Home » Massachusetts & Beyond » Women’s Equality National Monument Announcement 2016

Women’s Equality National Monument Announcement 2016

August 3, 2016 By Michelle Juralewicz

IMG_4088On April 12, 2016 President Barack Obama announced the establishment of the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C., at the Sewall-Belmont House & Museum, home to the National Woman’s Party for 90 years, and the center of the struggle for women’s suffrage and women’s rights. The Monument is now part of the US National Park Service.

Women’s Suffrage Celebration Coalition President Fredie Kay (see photo at left) was present for the dedication ceremony and serves on the Monument’s 2020 Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative (WVCI). In addition to President Obama (see video below), speakers included Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Delegate to the House of Representatives from Washington D.C. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Senator Barbara Mikulski, and US House of Representative Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

The new designation honors both Alva Belmont, the National Woman’s Party benefactor, and Alice Paul, who founded the party and served as its chief strategist. Obama made his announcement on Equal Pay Day, observed on the day that reflects how far into the year women have to work in order to equal the pay earned by men the prior year. Created in 1996 by the National Committee on Pay Equity, it is designed to increase public awareness of the gap between the wages of men and women.

Filed Under: Massachusetts & Beyond

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Suffragists Support #StopAsianHate

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