President's Message

Your support of Worcester Women’s History Project is vital. You are instrumental in keeping alive the memory of the struggle for equality. The Worcester Women’s History Project, The League of Women Voters and the City Manager’s Advisory Committee on the Status of Women attended the City Council meeting on August 19th where Mayor Joseph Petty read a proclamation declaring August 26th Women’s Equality Day in Worcester. The United States Senate and House of Representatives have also designated August 26th as Women’s Equality Day to commemorate the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment.

Several young people, both men and women, asked me why we should celebrate the day. We must commemorate the day so that we do not forget the efforts of so many who fought for the rights of women. Equally as important, Worcester Women’s History Project also celebrates the role of the radical abolitionists from Worcester who fought for equality for all people.

It is sobering to realize that my mother was four years old when the Nineteenth Amendment passed. More amazing, women in Kuwait did not gain the right to vote until 2005. We must not take this important privilege for granted. It saddens me that so few citizens exercise their right to vote. With your support, as we continue to provide education and programming across the community, I hope more and more people begin to value their right to have their voice be heard through the ballot box. We deserve the vibrant community that is gained through participatory government.

I invite you to join us as a committee member or as a participant at one of our events. Your financial support is always appreciated. You help us to raise awareness and thereby invite conversation.

Why celebrate Women’s Equality Day? While it may be overused, I must quote George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If we do not celebrate and value our hard won rights and take them for granted, it is as if we never won.