Violet
I am excited about the monument because it isn't fair that girls aren't on the National Mall.
“Life-size statues of real suffragists! This was a movement powered by women, plural, and while it would be impossible to recognize the thousands (millions?) of Suffragists who fought together for women’s rights, I think it would be powerful to recognize dozens of them. Instead of one huge towering figure, I imagine an awe-inspiring feminist army of statues, all life-sized, all on the ground where people can mingle among them and learn their story. By standing among them, one would also get the sense that they are part of this movement. This also pays tributes to great parades that were powerful demonstrations of women’s will, determination and power. When Susan B. Anthony was asked if women would sit on juries if they got the vote, she quipped “most women would be glad to sit on anything!” Women’s work powers our world, what better way to recognize that than to give women a place to sit down and rest and reflect. Places to gather Let there be water fountains, picnic tables, restrooms, shade and comfortable places to gather. This was a movement powered by women getting together, often with kids running around in the background, while they plotted how to improve the world. We can recognize this aspect of their efforts by enabling it today. A place to sign your name For a while, the petition was the only tool women had to make their voices heard. At first, the suffragists could get only 5 or 40 names on a petition. But in time thousands of people were signing their names—giving real force to their demands—because the cause had become more popular and more acceptable. That happened, in part, because of all the face-to-face conversations suffs were willing to have as they solicited signatures. Change happened person by person, by real people just like us.”
There are so many! I have obsessively studied the Suffs for more a decade, even reading all six volumes of The Complete History of Woman's Suffrage. Nothing is more captivating than their witty, spirited, snarky and loving words.
Featured Submissions
Leslie
My grandmother, Juana, came to the United States from the Philippines in 1973 and opened the door to the life I was born into. She was gentle but strong, and her love shaped our big, close family in ways I carry with me every day. When I think about the monument, I see her and all the women whose quiet courage, often unseen, built the foundation for the generations that came after them.
Graham
I am inspired by the suffragists bravery when protesting outside the White House even when they knew they would get arrested.
Diane
I am inspired by the suffragists creativity and resilience. I sewed this replica banner with one of my favorite slogans from the suffrage movement, "Forward Into Light".
Sloane
My drawing is of a strong independent woman holding the women's suffrage flag that I feel represents this movement in history and continues to hold true today.
Lily
My monument idea is one that honors the fight of the past while allowing space for the future of women’s rights to come. It is of a sash winding and rising upwards towards a fire. The fire represents courage, endurance, and the many voices of women who fought, and continue to fight for equality. It is a flame that can never be extinguished. At the bottom of the sash are symbols of the early suffrage movement such as a “Women Vote” button, a suffrage bluebird, and a yellow suffrage rose. The middle of the sash has the saying, “They ignited the flame. Our Voices Keep it Burning.” This honors the fight of those who came before us, and encourages new voices to continue their efforts for equality. The top of the sash is left empty and unwritten to allow for the next generation to leave their mark.
