Flint Township View

Remember When …




A photo of a Women’s Suffrage March from a century ago. Photo courtesy of the Burton Area Historical Society

A photo of a Women’s Suffrage March from a century ago. Photo courtesy of the Burton Area Historical Society

Women’s Suffrage movement seems to be the talk of the times right now, since it was the 100th year anniversary Aug. 1.

Do you know what Women Suffrage is? The main propose was so that all women and other minorities would have the equal rights to vote, education, employment, and much more. In 1866 Women Suffrage or Women rights activists like Stanton and Anthony were very determined to get equal rights for all U.S. citizens regardless of gender or race. The first march was in New York City in 1910.

The U.S. Congress passed the 19th Amendment and Michigan was the second state to ratify it, on June 10, 1919. My friend Lorene Wilson, a historian, volunteers at the Grand Blanc Heritage Museum weekly researcher and a trustee. Lorene even found newspaper articles of meetings held in Grand Blanc with their Suffrage group in 1874, in the Wolverine Citizen paper. In my research I found that has been women activists standing up to get their equal rights, but it even started back in Roman times, 1800s, 1900s and now.

 

 

Women have been showing men they can be leaders too and after the Civil War, the 14th (1868) Amendment would grant citizenship to all people born in the U.S., naturalized citizens and African-Americans. The 15th Amendment (1870) all Black men could vote (now they would be counted on the census), some southern states didn’t like it.

So, the freedom fight continued until The Voting Acts of 1965 signed by President Lyndon Johnson. Now ALL people of all colors and minorities could vote in America and if any state stopped them (like before) they would be penalized by the government, which is big.

Women have been the backbone of every American family, for hundreds of years through the pioneer days until now. In the 1960-70’s Women Suffrage were not going to put up with being treated different, when they were doing the same job as a man and not getting the same pay. Women and minorities are not going to be put on the back shelf, so the Women Suffrage movement will be around awhile. We won’t give up.

I read a Harvard study that said, men don’t think women want to give up their family, for work like a man. Each year more women will stand up for our rights and things get done. Women are very strong, multitask oriented, can manage the household while raising the children and since the 1960s, a lot mothers have also gone to work. Women have always volunteered in their communities to help families and children. I thank them for being strong, so I could vote since I was 18.

Do you Vote? I believe someday businesses will just hire a person for their job qualifications not what they look like. In America our families are breaking down only 70 percent married, it’s sad and society doesn’t help. Family is the most important thing to me, and over 20 million children being raised by a single parent, according to Ipsnews.net.

I loved coming home to my mother after school and doing Girl Scouts with her, she taught me to help others, to vote always, I would have never learned anywhere else. Our parents are our mentors, our leaders to show us how to treat people with kindness, volunteering in our community and being a good person.

My Dad was always my hero. He served in the U.S. Navy, worked to provide for our family of six, showed us patriotism, served our community and each other and that is family to me. I know each one of us has a different story, let’s all try to be kind to make this America a better place.

Remember When is a weekly column in the Burton View featuring historical stories about the community from the Burton Area Historical Society. If you have some Burton history to share, email History. Mona@yahoo.com.