One Day. Two Ways.

This Friday, August 26th, is Women’s Equality Day. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I had to look it up to remind myself why. Well, it has been a hard year for women’s equality in the US. 

Women’s Equality Day celebrates the day that American women were granted the right to vote.

But not all women. That’s the part I didn’t learn in school. It has only been in recent years that I have learned that this right was extended only to white women. Calling a day Women’s Equality Day when it wasn’t for all women is 

wrong 

stupid 

racist 

cringe-worthy 

shortsighted 

inaccurate 

problematic 

I’ll let you choose. At any rate, maybe that's the reason I had forgotten what Women’s Equality Day was all about. Deep down, something about it troubles me.

Here in Howard County there’s going to be a luncheon at the Florence Bain 50+ Center. The focus will be honoring local women’s equality champions.

It’s both a thoughtful and creative way of addressing a day which could feel less than inclusive.  I had to remind myself that women who remember New York Representative Bella Abzug championing the creation of Women’s Equality Day in 1971 are no doubt women who would be attending events at the Florence Bain Center. Time does that. 

At the National level, the League of Women’s Voters will be observing something rather different.

Every Aug 26, we celebrate the accomplishments women have made and commemorate the 19th Amendment. But this year, we cannot celebrate. 

Join us and demand our government not only represent us but include us as equals. Learn more here.

The focus of Women’s Inequality Day is three-fold:

1. Passing voting rights legislation;

2. Adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution; and 

3. Restoring reproductive rights to women and those who can become pregnant.

Essentially it’s a challenge: if we want it to truly be Women’s Equality Day we have to work to make it so.  In the words of Fannie Lou Hamer: Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.

What’s the best way to celebrate Friday? In my opinion, both ways: expressing gratitude for those women whose labor brought us to this day, but also acknowledging the truth of what still needs to be done.

Remember 

Celebrate 

Honor

Grieve

Shout

Bear witness

Mourn

Rant

Plan

Get to work

You choose.