Photo courtesy of SD Governor's Office
Her Voice. Her Vote. A Celebration, Commemoration and Time to Honor the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote By Margaret Pennock
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century ago, women were granted the right to vote because of the commitment and courage of a sisterhood who believed they deserved equality. They showed commitment and perseverance in having a voice no matter the backlash that they experienced. And because of them, all women in the United States have the right to be heard as well as have the ability to shape and influence our society for the better ever since. To mark this historical event, Governor Kristi Noem has appointed the Women’s Centennial Vote Delegation to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women earning the right to vote and uplift South Dakota’s suffrage story. The delegation is recognized as Her Vote. Her Voice., and is a non-partisan project of the South Dakota State Historical Society and South Dakota Historical Society Foundation to commemorate, celebrate and honor the centennial. Patricia Miller, Women’s Suffrage Delegation Chair shares, “Celebrating women earning the right to vote isn’t just important for the women and young girls alive today, it’s for everyone. It’s a reminder and recognition that at one time not everyone had
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a voice. They weren’t allowed to stand up and be counted for whatever they believed in. Celebrating the vote means honoring the women who were willing to push back against the systems of the time to say that they should have a vote and that their voice mattered. That their opinions were worth listening to and that they deserved to be counted.” The delegation is committed to creating a launchpad for historic preservation, much of what is less well-known or has never been cataloged will now be recorded for the first time. And because of this, it is seeking to raise one million dollars in order to collect women’s history artifacts, catalog oral histories, share South Dakota historical stories and more. Thanks to private donations, South Dakota Public Broadcasting is partnering with the delegation and has created an original documentary ‘Simple Justice: Suffrage in South Dakota’ which airs August 10th. Fritz Miller, Director of Marketing at South Dakota Public Broadcasting shares, “It tells the story of some of women and men who worked to try to pass suffrage and universal