May 30, 2019
Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (Cardozo) announced today “Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices: The 19th Amendment at 100,” a year of celebration and scholarly discussion marking one hundred years of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited states from denying citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex, though not all women would have the same ability to vote or to make their voices heard. Bookended by the anniversaries of the passage of the amendment in June 1919 and its ratification in August 1920, #19at100 will commemorate these historical milestones with interactive events, panel discussions and more at Cardozo Law School and other key New York City institutions.
Highlights will include a gathering of women judges from across the country; a series of in-depth conversations on topics both historic and current; a film series focused on portrayals of women’s suffrage; and keynote addresses by trailblazing women in politics, law, labor, and business.
Driven by themes such as voter rights, race and suffrage, changing definitions of gender, disenfranchisement efforts, and examinations of political life then and now, the event series will explore how the women’s movement has evolved since 1919, what’s still missing a century later, and what progress might look like in a rapidly changing world.
“The passage of the 19th Amendment was a watershed moment in the history of the U.S.,” said Dean Melanie Leslie. “A century later, we want to examine the pivotal roles of women in our society, our evolving definitions of gender, and how the law is adapting to these changes.”
New York City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera will present Cardozo with a proclamation at the event honoring this day in history and Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices. Details on further events will be released through August 2020. To follow along, join Cardozo on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and use the hashtag #19at100.
Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices: The 19th Amendment at 100 will kick off on June 4—the anniversary of the amendment’s passage in Congress—with an event at Cardozo featuring a talk from Cardozo constitutional law professor Kate Shaw, who recently co-edited the book Reproductive Rights and Justice Stories and will discuss women’s reproductive rights and the increasing efforts by states to infringe upon these rights today. Valerie Paley, senior vice president, chief historian and director of the Center for Women’s History at the New York Historical Society will deliver the keynote address, looking at the role of activism in women’s rights and in particular how the women’s labor movement gave rise to the larger suffrage movement.
New York City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera will present Cardozo with a proclamation.
Details on further events will be released through August 2020. To follow along, join Cardozo on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and use the hashtag #19at100.
About Cardozo
The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, combines legal theory and real-world exposure to empower lawyers as analytic problem-solvers working toward a more just society. Cardozo's faculty, students, and alumni are known for creative and entrepreneurial approaches to the study and practice of law. The school is the birthplace of the Innocence Project, the FAME Center, and visionary programs in intellectual property and information law. The Cardozo faculty is ranked 32nd in the nation for scholarly impact, and the law school is ranked 1st in dispute resolution and 2nd in intellectual property in New York City. Cardozo's deep connections to business, media, fashion, entertainment, criminal justice, and public service law lead students to impactful careers in diverse and dynamic industries across the globe. Visit us at https://cardozo.yu.edu.