ENID, OK - The Enid Public Library invites members of the community to a special poster exhibition, Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence, exploring the centennial of women’s suffrage in the U.S. The exhibit is on display until March 31st in the library lobby for Women’s History Month.
The story of women’s suffrage is a story of voting rights, of inclusion in and exclusion from the franchise, and of our civic development as a nation. Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and explores the complexity of the women’s suffrage movement and the relevance of this history to Americans’ lives today.
Based on the National Portrait Gallery exhibition of the same name, Votes for Women seeks to expand our understanding of the suffrage movement in the United States. The poster exhibition addresses women’s political activism, explores the racism that challenged universal suffrage, and documents the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibits the government from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex. It also touches upon the suffrage movement’s relevance to current conversations on voting and voting rights across America.
Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery. This project received support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative.
In addition to the poster exhibit, the library has set up an adjoining book display for further reading on women throughout history. Books for readers of all ages are available.
About the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story is one of the country’s most ambitious undertakings to research, collect, document, display, and share the compelling story of women. More information about the initiative is available at womenshistory.si.edu.
For more information about the Enid Public Library and their events and resources, visit the library’s website at enid.okpls.org. The Enid Public Library is located at 120 W Maine, Enid, OK 73701.
