LYME — The Friends of Lyme Public Library host a topical meeting on “Equality, Opportunity, and the Promise of the 19th Amendment,” Saturday, Sept. 26, at 2 p.m.
The presentation will be given by MaryAnn Borelli via Zoom. This program is free and open to all, but you will need to register in advance to receive your invitation to the Zoom program.
There is a momentousness to constitutional amendments in the United States, of the well over 11,000 proposed to Congress since 1789, just 27 have been ratified. Each has brought great change and the 19th Amendment is no exception.
Its declaration – “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” – has reshaped patterns of access and privilege, moving some closer to power while pushing others further to the margins.
This difference endures although the Amendment itself seems unequivocal in its commitment to equality and political opportunity. What has undermined or reinforced the authority of the 19th Amendment? Why has its provision of the right to vote remained so contentious?
In a year when voting is at the forefront of our lives, the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment can and should inspire meditations about our country’s past, clarify diverse understandings of our present, and invigorate shared commitments for our future.
All are welcome to join this conversation, sharing your wisdom about politics and participation in the United States.
MaryAnn Borrelli is the Susan Eckert Lynch ’62 Professor of Government at Connecticut College. The recipient of several teaching awards, her courses in United States politics include Congress, Gender and U.S. Politics, The U.S. Presidency, and Political Speechmaking.
Professor Borrelli’s books and articles focus on gender and identity in the presidency, specifically in the President’s cabinet and in the office of the First Lady. She has also co-authored briefing papers for the White House Transition Project, which has advised newly elected presidents since 2000.
For more information and to register for this program, email [email protected].