Women’s Equality Day commemorates the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that gave white women the right to vote. Observed annually after its initiation in 1971, the date was chosen to reflect the passing of the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920. Women’s Equality Day was created by a Joint Resolution of Congress encouraged by former New York U.S. Representative Bella Abzug. The day is meant to honor the culmination of effort put forth by decades of effort to win women the right to vote. However, the 19th Amendment was not an equal opportunity amendment. Asian Americans women couldn’t vote until 1952. Native American women were kept from voting in certain states until 1962. And Black women were kept from voting until 1965; that was only 55 years ago!
