By Pamelya Herndon, Executive Director
Southwest Women’s Law Center
On Friday, August 26, 2016, New Mexico joined with other states around the country as we paid tribute to Women’s Equality Day in celebration of the 96th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote. New Mexico Community Foundation and NewMexicoWomen.Org were proud to support the celebration led by the Southwest Women’s Law Center (SWLC) on Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza. To ensure that women around the state were able to participate in the event, SWLC engaged the use of social media to connect women to the event. A jumbo screen was on Civic Plaza to capture the messages that women around New Mexico sent in celebration of Women’s Equality Day.
Lois West from Taos, NM joined the event via Skype, along with Professor Lori Keleher and her students from New Mexico State University. Others joined via Twitter and Facebook. The Twitter Handle was #WomensEqualityDayNM. SWLC determined that technology was the best way to commemorate the day and have women from around the state join the celebration, even if they were unable to travel to Albuquerque.
The 19th Amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920. Women’s Equality Day was created in 1971 through the efforts of Congresswoman Bella Abzug. The day represents the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorated the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also called attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality in such areas as equal pay, pregnancy accommodations in the workplace and paid family leave.
Joining in the celebration was former Albuquerque Poet Laureate Hakim Bellamy, folk singer Marsie Silvestro along with jazz and blues singers Zenobia Conkerite and Tracey Whitney. Television personality Erica Zucco served as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event. The League of Women Voters helped women get registered to vote. There were many opportunities to learn about women’s issues and organizations through the information tables on the plaza, as well as making new friends and creating comradery.
Albuquerque City Councilor Diane Gibson helped facilitate the use of the Civic Plaza for the event. Other supporting organizations included Equality New Mexico, ABQ NOW, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights, Professional Business Women of New Mexico, YWCA, Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families, and Senator Linda Lopez.
In 2020, New Mexico and the rest of the country will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Southwest Women’s Law Center, New Mexico Community Foundation and NewMexicoWomen.Org will continue to push for gender equality across the state of New Mexico!