Rossville Library August exhibit commemorates 19th Amendment centennial
From Aug. 6 through the end of the month, the Rossville Public Library will host a new popup exhibition from the National Archives, Rightfully Hers, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Rightfully Hers contains simple messages exploring the history of the ratification of the amendment, women’s voting rights before and after it passage, and its impact today. Despite decades of marches, petitions and public debate to enshrine a woman’s right to vote in the constitution, the 19th Amendment – while an enormous milestone – did not grant voting rights for all. The challenges of its passage reverberate to the ongoing fight for gender equity today.
Rightfully Hers co-curator Jennifer N. Johnson states, “The ratification of the 19th Amendment was a landmark moment in American history that dramatically changed the electorate, and although it enshrined in the U.S. Constitution fuller citizenship for women many remained unable to vote.”
Rightfully Hers is organized by the National Archives and Records Administration. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the National Archives has launched a nationwide initiative and major exhibition that explores the generations-long fight for universal woman suffrage. The exhibition is presented in part by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP and Denise Gwyn Ferguson.
For more information, call the Rossville Public Library at 706-866-1368 or check out the library’s Facebook page at Rossville Public Library or the library website, www.chrl.org. The library is at 504 McFarland Ave., Rossville, next to the Rossville Fire Department.