Dr. Shirley McKellar, left, and LaRhonda Hamilton smile for a photo while attending the annual Women’s Equality Day Program at the Tyler Public Library on Sunday.

The League of Women Voters held its annual Women’s Equality Day Program at the Tyler Public Library on Sunday.

The event is a way to celebrate Women’s Equality Day and to honor and recognize women who are trailblazers in the community and who fight to deliver a better future for women of all race and creed, according to vice president of community relations and chairperson of the event LaRhonda Hamilton.

“We recognize women who are making democracy work and about empowerment. Today, women’s equality has grown to mean much more than just sharing the right to vote, but to continue to work and provide women with equal opportunities to education and employment, and to push against suppression,” she said.

Women’s Equality Day is on Aug. 26 and Hamilton said the observance of the special day commemorates much more than just the passage of the 19th Amendment.

“The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality,” she said. “The 19th Amendment helped millions of women move closer to equality in all aspects of American life.”

“On August 26, 1920, after decades of hard-fought advocacy, women won the right to vote, and our nation moved one step closer to living out our sacred ideal that all people are created equal,” Hamilton said. “On Women’s Equality Day, we honor the movement for universal suffrage that led to the 19th Amendment, celebrate the progress of women over the years, and renew our commitment to advancing gender equity and protecting women’s rights.”

Since 1971, Women’s Equality Day has been celebrated annually on Aug. 26. The celebration falls on the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote.

The Woman Suffrage Amendment was first introduced on January 10, 1878. It was resubmitted numerous times until it was finally approved by both the House and Senate in June 1919. The bill needed to be approved by two-thirds of the states, so suffragists spent the next year lobbying state legislatures to gain support for the bill.

On August 24, 1920, Tennessee became 36th and final state to ratify the amendment, which passed by only one vote. That one vote belonged to Harry Burn, who heeded the words of his mother when she urged him to vote for suffrage. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed the amendment into law on August 26, 1920, according to womenshistory.org.

Hamilton said events such as these bring the community together, regardless of race, gender, or political preferences.

“Although men are invited, events such as this strengthen women’s relationships and encourage togetherness,” she said. “The topics focused on women equality, women voting rights, leadership, and empowerment. We recognize the work that remains to ensure that everyone can fully participate in our democracy.”

Panelists at the event included Dr. Shirley McKellar, Heather Self-Stoner, Michelle Allcon, Emily Pinal, and Laura Jackson.

League of Women Voters — Tyler/Smith County board includes President Rubye Kendrick and board members Katy Cline, Allison Pollan, Dee Pendelton, Natalie Wright-Curley, Jessica Godsil, Carla Higgins, Betsy Stith, and LaRhonda Hamilton.

For more information, visit the League of Women Voters – Tyler/Smith County Facebook page.