A Monumental Address: Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation Partners with NCNW to Open Headquarters Along Historic Suffrage Parade Route

Gift from the National Council of Negro Women Will Place Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation’s New Headquarters in Historic Building on Pennsylvania Avenue

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a move fitting for the historic effort to build the first monument dedicated to American women’s history on the National Mall, the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation today announced the location of its new headquarters within the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The address establishes the Foundation offices along Washington’s “Corridor of Power” between the Capitol and the White House and directly overlooks the route where suffragists famously marched in 1913 for the constitutional right to vote.

On March 3, 1913, the Dorothy I. Height Building had a front-row seat to the first Woman Suffrage Procession with thousands of women marching along Pennsylvania Avenue in a parade organized by the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s Congressional Committee. In 1995, the historic address was acquired by the NCNW as the only woman- and Black-owned building along Pennsylvania Avenue. 

This announcement deepens the partnership between the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation and the NCNW. A historic organization with suffrage roots, the NCNW was founded in 1935 by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an influential educator, advocate, and suffragist. Today, the NCNW is standing alongside other historic Foundation partners like Association of Junior Leagues International, Daughters of the American Revolution, Delta Sigma Theta, General Federation of Women’s Clubs, League of Women Voters, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Zeta Phi Beta to ensure the legacy of the suffragists is celebrated on the National Mall. Earlier this week, the NCNW President & CEO Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley was named to the Foundation’s Council of Ambassadors. 

“The suffragists whose stories we are honoring with this Monument once walked these halls,” said Anna Laymon, President & CEO of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation. “NCNW’s founders and luminaries – Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Dorothy Height, Dr. Thelma Daley, and now Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley – inspire our Monument’s purpose. In this space where generations of women have made history, what a gift it is to be invited into its next chapter.” 

“It is significant for the Monument headquarters to be housed at NCNW’s headquarters because we are a historic site, as well,” said Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, President & CEO of the NCNW. “There’s such symbolism between our founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, who was a suffragist, and there’s a consistent message: The voice of women and the presence of women has made and will continue to make a difference for this country. This monument and this building share one clear connection, and that is history.”

With this contribution of office space from the NCNW, the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation will establish its headquarters on the physical corridor where suffragists marched over a century ago – marking a profound convergence of history and vision as the organization works to ensure that women’s contributions to American democracy are permanently honored on the National Mall.

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ABOUT THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE NATIONAL MONUMENT FOUNDATION

The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation was authorized by Congress in Public Law 116-217 and Public Law 118-226 to lead the effort to fund, design, develop, and construct the Women’s Suffrage National Monument on the National Mall. The monument will foster a deeper understanding of the women who shaped American democracy. For more information visit www.womensmonument.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

SUPPORT

The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation relies on the generous financial support of our donors. Like most monuments and memorials, the Women’s Suffrage National Monument will be funded entirely through private donations, and your support is essential to telling the stories of generations of suffragists. Join us to learn more about the monument, donate, and be a part of history.