On August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment was passed, granting women the right to vote. Now, 100 years later, the League of Women Voters is spreading the word to commemorate the anniversary of this landmark legislation.
The League of Women Voters, Metropolitan Columbus chapter was established in 1919 and has been promoting civic engagement since day one. As a nonpartisan organization, the league’s mission is to encourage active and informed participation in government.
“The thing I enjoy and appreciate about the league is that I can read the material and learn. I’m a lifelong learner,” says Ann Bohman, a member of the Columbus chapter. “I found it to be an easy way to be informed about the community and to get involved with the community.”
Bohman, a longtime Dublin resident, has been active in the league for more than 40 years. From membership chairman in her first league chapter in Lake Forest, Illinois, to the president of two chapters, to her current role as the mentee program coordinator in Columbus, she has seen immense growth with the league.
“We pride ourselves in the fact that we go way beyond in making people feel welcome,” says Bohman.
Despite the implication of its name, the league welcomes men as well as women to join and partake in the group’s activity. After all, true equality may only be reached when everyone works together to achieve it. John Witt of Dublin Scioto High School is the perfect example of this.
Witt and Bohman connected when Bohman donated old newspapers to the high school with important events like the JFK assassination and Nixon’s impeachment on the front covers. Witt and another teacher started constructing a new social studies curriculum that included using the league website to encourage and teach students about activism.
“I went up to John to thank him for the participation and tell him my next plan is a 100th anniversary commemoration parade,” says Bohman. “He said, ‘Oh, I’d like to do that, and I think my students would enjoy it, too.’”
Though the St. Patrick’s Day 2020 parade had to be canceled, Witt and his students still rallied to show their support for the monumental centennial commemoration of the passing of the 19th amendment.
“Parades have always been a part of (league) history,” says Bohman. “When I looked at our local membership, very few wanted to walk (in the St. Patrick’s Day parade). We had about 10 that said they wanted to join me, but we had 37 students that wanted to come.”
When Bohman looks to this new generation of suffragists and suffragettes, she feels hopeful for the future. A new partnership between the schools and the league shows a lot of promise for engaging students in government.
“We were disappointed when we couldn’t do all the parades, but I think it might be working out better this way because we’re able to do more things involved with the students,” says Bohman. “They’re the future.”
Students share their thoughts about the league:
- “The League of Women Voters means a lot to me. These women are incredibly kind and strong individuals, and I truly admire what they are doing,” says Ryan DeAngelo, sophomore at DSHS. “I want to thank the League of Women Voters for everything they do.”
- “To me, the League of Women Voters is more than just a group of people. They represent us and fight for us and teach us to be the people that our country needs us to be,” says Embry Ibanez Cervantes, junior at DSHS. “They not only stand up for women voters but teach us to spread the word and to fight for what is right.”
- “Through working with the League of Women Voters in various capacities, I've been left with a sense of security and belonging knowing that there will always be a group of people fighting for people like me,” says Sama Ben Amer, senior at DSHS.
- “The League of Women Voters to me represents strength and persistence,” says Britney Vo, senior at DSHS.
- “Having the League of Women voters as an influence is very empowering, because I know they personally have been part of movements that removed the social stigma and barriers that prevented women from voting well after the 19th amendment,” says Fizza Khalid, senior at DSHS. “They’re role models for me, and I know a lot of us students appreciate their presence and hard work.”
- “For me, the League of Women Voters means freedom,” says Wajeeha Sohail, senior at DSHS. “It's a way for women to express themselves and tell the world that their voice matters.”
- “To me, the League of Women Voters means diligence. As I look back at history and even look into the things that the League of Women Voters has accomplished, I see and think that there had to be a constant drive of desire to see change,” says Karierah Humphrey, senior at DSHS. “Alongside this note, there was a kind of bravery that rejected social norms, fought against oppression towards women, and helped give education to empower voters to stand up for their rights.”
Sarah Robinson is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
