The Struggle for Suffrage in Historically Marginalized Communities
An overflow crowd filled the first floor of the Blaine House for the League of Women Voters panel discussion: "The Struggle for Suffrage in Historically Marginalized Communities."
Led by the League's Anna Kellar, panelists Anne Gass (author, Voting Down the Rose), Maulian Dana (Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador) and Rev Kenneth Lewis (pastor of Green Memorial AME Zion Church), discussed how different communities across Maine may view the suffrage movement and its centennial.
From the League: "We recognize that history is complicated, victories are partial, and sometimes we have to celebrate and regret in the same breath. The suffrage movement teaches us about the power of organizing; that diverse tactics - from civil disobedience to patient lobbying to changing the popular culture - all have power, and it also teaches us that such movements can be flawed and ask more marginalized members to wait their turn to be free."