Our local league has dedicated considerable effort and resources to researching and celebrating the individual women and collective action of those women and men who inspire us to continue to fight for voting and other individual rights.
The monument will be a permanent and lasting symbol of what is currently a long, underemphasized chapter in American history - the story of women's role in our nation's struggle for individual rights.
The Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation was established through Public Law 116-217, signed into law by President Trump in December 2020. As stipulated by this legislation, the monument is slated to be located in the heart of our nation's capital, Washington, D.C., and is set to be completed by 2027.
While the vision for the monument is crystal clear, its exact location has yet to be precisely determined, but it will be in Washington, D.C.
Currently, two pieces of legislation, House Bill H.R.1318 and companion Senate Bill S.886, titled the "Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act," have garnered bipartisan support. Both bills advocate for the monument to be situated on the iconic National Mall—an area within the nation's most visited national park, home to numerous monuments and memorials that resonate with the history and values of our great nation.
There are a number of other steps in the process of creating the monument, once Congress has passed legislation and it is signed into law, but - according to the Foundation - the most difficult part of the process has already been accomplished.
ACTION PIECE: You can get involved!
The Education board has done its work and led the way with a donation on behalf of our organization. There are two ways for LWV Broward members to strengthen our contribution:
1) Contact your Congressional Representative and Senators and urge them to support House Bill H.R.1318 (House) and S.886 (Senate), mentioned in the previous paragraph. Ask them to support the passage of this legislation in this Congressional Session. The monument promises to be a lasting testament to American women's history and an inspiration to civic participation.
We would love to see this monument constructed without further delay.
2) Visit the website for the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation website, www.womensmonument.org, to learn more about this worthy cause the League is proud to support.
...One more way for you to be involved!
3) All members of LWV Broward are invited to present proposals or requests for funding of civic education projects and are eligible according to 501 (c)(3)guidelines.
Please contact our Education Funding Board President, Bonnie Gross at bonnielgross@gmail.com, for more information.