The fight for women’s rights began to heat up in the mid-1800s when men and women came together to advocate for the cause. One of the biggest issues was voting rights as some women wanted the federal government to recognize their right to vote by passing a constitutional amendment.
It took years of lobbying and advocating, but in 1920 — 100 years ago — the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed. It declared that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”
But the 19th Amendment wasn’t officially ratified in Georgia until 50 years later — in 1970. Only one elected official from Georgia, Senator William J. Harris of Cedartown, voted in favor of the 19th Amendment in 1920, and the state actually holds the honor of becoming the first in the country to reject the amendment. Today, women are the backbone of the Georgia electorate, nearly 3.4 million strong.
According to the Fulton Daily Report, “Georgia’s women judges are celebrating the power of those 28 words that make up the 19th Amendment and the 100th anniversary of the amendment’s ratification by going online to recite the amendment and read books about women’s suffrage to children.”
The ‘Be Proud to Read Aloud’ project is being sponsored by the state Administrative Office of Courts (AOC), and features 14 female judges as part of an initiative to engage the judicial branch in promoting civics education. According to the Fulton Daily Report, one male judge is also featured in a video with his daughter.
The videos are featured on the AOC website, along with a list of books that fit with the 2020 Law Day theme of the women’s suffrage movement.
The AOC has even teamed with the state Department of Education’s social studies staff in an effort to have the videos incorporated into class curriculum. The report says the 19th Amendment project will continue through Constitution Day in September and Bill of Rights Day in December
