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latest blog

Max lll

8/31/2020

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A day late, but here is the third blog in response to recent stories located on the internet and calling out for my attention.
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The story came from the  short piece done by journalist, author and womens' advocate Mika  Brzezinski on 21 August. It appeared on the popular TV news show called
"Morning Joe". She is the co-host with husband Joe Scarborough. (both shown above)

Mika titled her piece...What a Remarkable Week For Women. It noted that the week began with former First Lady Michelle Obama had headed the speakers list on the first night  of the Democratic National Convention.

The viewing audience was then told that Tuesday marked the celebration of the 100th year since the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed, granting women the right to vote. Mika then noted that on Wednesday of that week, Kamala Harris became the first black woman and first with native heritage, to be nominated by a national party, as a Vice Presidential candidate.

Mika then went on to tell the story of an incredibly unique way a New York City park was honouring women on the 100th anniversary of their being finally granted the right to vote.

Beyond Mika's coverage, I have looked into the park to be soon introduced. One that has links to much earlier developments. And one that has a direct connection to a NY state born woman by the name of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Elizabeth received her formal education in Troy NY at it's female seminary. It was apparently the first school in the country that taught the girls from a curriculum equal to that of the boys studies of the day.

No doubt her formal training had something to do with her growing interest and soon involvement in the feminist movements of the day. Evident in her very marriage vow to her lawyer fiance when she refused to use the word OBEY at their 1840 wedding.

That same year she and husband attending the Worlds' Anti Slavery Convention whilst on their honeymoon in London England. But the women of that day were not allowed to be heard or participate in any of the proceedings. They could sit and listen and not much more.

Elizabeth had met several other US woman at the event and returned to the US vowing to continue working on womens' suffrage matters at home.


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Elizabeth (shown above  possibly in the  1880's,) working with some of the US women met in London, joined in  forming a group and in 1848 they held the Womens' Rights Convention at Seneca Falls NY. From that came a formalized Declaration of Sentiments outlining some 18 grievances, one of which demanded that the women be granted the right to vote. Within 3 years she would meet with, and spend the next 50 years plus, working with Susan B Anthony  on feminist issues. You met Susan in the last blog.

Elizabeth, Susan and so many others played key roles in the women's suffrage movement. The efforts of these women would be celebrated in part, with the above mentioned park on Roosevelt Island in New York city.

Some 79 years ago, on 6 Jan., 1941 President Roosevelt gave his state of the Union address. In this he outlined four freedoms. These being the freedom of speech and expression,  freedom of worship,  freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

Almost 3 dozen years later... in 1973 an Island in New York was designated as Roosevelt's Island. On 12 October  2012 FDR's Four Freedoms Park was officially declared opened on the island and a week later opened for the public.

Its entrance was by way on a monstrous staircase probably rising some 12 ft. and at least 100 feet wide. After the short climb you face a very long flat field or park, leading up to the end. And here you find a life-like bust  weighing some 1050 pounds. It is the face of FDR. On its reverse are engraved the four freedoms.

The park is a living history of the monumental tasks woman had to perform to get the vote, after several failed attempts and a partial victory, but only for the white women by way of the 19th amendment  noted in last blog. The coloured men in most cases and all coloured women had to wait till 1965 before this injustice was ended. 

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Here we see the steps leading up to the monument.
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Here we see the bust of FDR and on reverse the four freedoms displayed.

From the Mika Bezezinski news account I learned that the park mounted a display in honor of the women and their suffrage by the use of a massive field of sunflowers painted onto those steps. Actual each step had applied onto their surfaces a long strip of the flowers.

It tool a group over a year of planing and less than an hour to finally apply the images  to these steps for the short period they would be displayed. The purpose of the display is to remind all of the suffrage still ongoing, and also to give remembrance to the fact that it was 100 years ago, on 18 August 1920 that the 19th amendment was passed granting women the right to vote.

An amendment pushed for by Susan B Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and so many others.

Efforts that occurred in Kansas as far back as 1867. And the state flower of Kansas was... you guessed it... the sunflower.

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And here we see those same 25 steps, turned into a giant bill board noting the hard fought battle and final success gained by US women for the right to vote.

I will return on Wednesday with an important blog.

Hope you will join me then.

Bart

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    Author;
    Bart Armstrong, C.D.,
    Recipient, Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers 

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