Centennial Celebrations!

Celebrate the Centennial of the 19th Amendment

About 400 people braved the showers to honor Wisconsin’s role as the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment 100 years ago. Thanks to our many partners, including the Badgerland Girl Scouts, The Raging Grannies, The Forward Wisconsin Women’s Art Fund, emcee Joy Cardin, Assembly Reps. Joan Ballweg and Melissa Sargent, actors Doug Reed and Bridget Kelly, and Carrie Chapman Catt impersonator Rose Stephenson. Many thanks as well to the many volunteers and organizers who made it all come together—especially Ellen Penwell from LWV Wisconsin!

See the photo gallery on our home page for some photos of the day.

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The Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel online has this list of events around the state.

When: June 10, noon
Where: Wisconsin State Capitol Rotunda

Wisconsin was the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote! Be a part of this 100 year celebration and see an unveiling of the original 19th Amendment, hear from Wisconsin women in leadership, and more! Artifacts will be available to view in the rotunda from Noon until 10pm on June 10.
Learn more, and explore the Wisconsin Historical Society  collections related to the 19th Amendment here

Madison.com Photos of the event Coverage of the event.
WisconsinEye coverage of the event.
In the gallery below, click on a thumbnail in the lower row to view the image on the page.

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley making closing remarks. The Wisconsin Historical Society’s exhibit is visible in the rotunda.

The image of the Forward! statue is central to the WHS banner.

Shelia Stubbs, Dane County Supervisor and Assembly Representative addresses the fraught history of woman suffrage and black suffrage, reminding us that black women may have earned the right to vote in 1920, but laws in many states made it impossible for many black women (and men) to exercise that right until the Voting Rights Act in 1964. And voter suppression laws remain in place in Wisconsin and around the nation.

League and Delta Sigma Theta members gather in the rotunda to celebrate woman suffrage!

A mother and daughter share a moment during the ceremony.

Former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch is executive director of the U.S. Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission. She was a featured speaker at the event.

The "Her Flag" Project comes to Madison 
When: June 10, 6 p.m.
Where: Madison Arts-Literature Library, 2021 Winnebago Street, Madison

It took 36 states to ratify the 19th amendment into law. In June of 2019, Marilyn Artus, will begin a 14 month road trip over 17 separate trips, traveling in order of ratification to all 36 states that ratified the amendment, to collaborate with a women artist in each state. Jenie Gao is the artist representing Wisconsin. Together they will create a flag with 36 stripes, one for each of the ratifying states.

Learn more about the Her Flag project.

Read more about the Wisconsin event and see Wisconsin’s stripe.

Member Marjorie Schuett had a voter registration and education table at the event. She is quoted in this article in the Cap Times.