Did you know that even though the 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, it was not official until Bainbridge Colby, the U.S. Secretary of State at that time, signed a proclamation on August 26, 1920?
Despite multiple women’s suffrage leaders asking to have people present for the document’s signing, he refused stating “effectuating suffrage through proclamation of its ratification by the necessary thirty-six States was more important than feeding the movie cameras.” The 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was originally proposed by Congress in 1919 and gained the support of President Woodrow Wilson. However, it took a full year for three-fourths of the country to ratify the amendment.
To commemorate such a win for women’s equality, Representative Bella Abzug proposed a bill in Congress to designate August 26th as Women’s Equality Day in 1971. In the years following, women have had amazing progress in the workplace and the justice system, although there is also more progress to be had.
At Kip & King Marketing, we are proud to be a woman-owned small business that builds an empowering atmosphere for our all female staff. We recognize the struggles and work with strong women in the surrounding areas to create a safespace for all small businesses to grow.
For more information on how Kip & King Marketing can empower your business, visit us at kipandkingmarketing.com.