Q&A WITH TERRY NEESE
RIGHT TO VOTE IN 19TH AMENDMENT EMPOWERED WOMEN NATIONWIDE Q: Women were granted the right to vote 96 years ago this month upon the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Why do you feel it’s important to vote?
A: Voting is proof that you exist! You count. It’s important that every person’s voice be heard, women and men, but especially for women. For us, it’s only been 96 years. My mother is 94; that’s one lifetime. I hear women say that one vote doesn’t matter, but there are many races that are won or lost by five or six votes. Every vote matters because everyone matters.
Q: When did you first exercise your right to vote?
A: I didn’t vote until I was in my 30s. Shame on me. The first presidential election I voted in was in 1980, Reagan and Carter. It was about the same time that, as a businesswoman, I realized that if you own a business, you have to get to know your local elected officials. I learned this the hard way. I’d just bought my building for Terry Neese Personnel staffing firm. Soon after we moved in, they began to tear up the entire road in front of my building to transform the old Route 66 into I-44, meaning that for nearly two years, people had to park blocks away and walk through fresh asphalt and mud to get to my company. It’s worth noting a woman at that time couldn’t get a business loan without a man to co-sign.
Q: How has gaining the vote changed the way women think?
A: The right to vote led to the realization they — we — can make a difference at the ballot box and in the world. Women are 52 percent of the electorate; the majority. Women in this country literally died and were imprisoned fighting for our right to vote and be recognized as human beings. From there, we secured the right to own land, borrow capital, hold credit cards in our own names, become CEOs, lead cities and serve in public office. When I was growing up, my parents taught me that I was capable of doing anything I chose to do, and I believed them. When I ran for Oklahoma lieutenant governor in 1990 and 1994, I was among the first women to step out there for such a high office. Today, through the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, my work has spread beyond U.S. borders, and I’m dedicated to empowering women business owners in Afghanistan and Rwanda.
Q: What do you tell people about voting this November for president?
A: I tell them not to stay home; vote. Even if you don’t love any of the candidates, vote anyway. Study the issues, know what your personal values are, ask yourself which candidate best supports your conscience, then show up and vote. And tell 10 friends to do the same. To not vote would be such a dishonor to the women who fought so hard, and in some cases died, to gain the right.