Day Twenty Six

The fight was a long one; women who campaigned and protested were arrested and treated worse than murderers. The fight took a toll; some women died. For some, the vote was the most important thing women could earn. Until they were able to vote, they had no voice to earn other rights. Others disagreed, but the campaign continued until finally, in 1920, Kentucky provided the final necessary vote for ratification. The Nineteenth Amendment became law, and women had the right to vote.

SUFFRAGE

You told us
We were too busy to vote.
We voted anyway.

You told us
We needed to watch our families.
We did…and voted.

You told us
Our mental capacity was too weak.
We knew more than enough to vote.

You told us
We would be corrupted by politics.
We voted, and were not corrupted.

You told us
The Bible didn’t allow us to vote.
We voted…God didn’t say anything.

You told us
The vote would undermine us.
We voted…and held onto our homes.

We demanded our rights.
You told us it was obscene.
You arrested us and beat us.

We demanded our rights.
You were scandalized.
We continued to fight.

We fought long and hard,
And finally won the right to vote.
Thank you, Kentucky.