February 3, 2020

History Documentary Celebrating the Centennial of Women's Suffrage Now in Production

Pop quiz: What was the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution all about? The 19th amendment, which was passed in 1920, gave most women the right to vote. Our state was ahead of the nation with suffrage. Most women in Washington won the vote in 1883, but it was repealed in 1888, and reclaimed in 1910. Ours was the fifth state in the nation where women had the vote.

As the centennial of this momentous amendment approaches, organizations across Washington are planning commemorations, celebrations, and events. TCMedia is positioned to document this history and celebrate the work of suffragettes and their allies. To support this effort, Thurston Community Media (TCMedia) was recently awarded a Votes for Women centennial grant in the amount of $5,000. Votes for Women Centennial Grants are provided by the Washington State Women's Commission and the Washington State Historical Society.

For more than 30 years, TCMedia has brought award-winning, nationally recognized local election coverage, candidate forums, and Video Voters Guides to the Thurston County area. Educating our communities on the importance of civic participation seemed like a logical outgrowth of their work. "The objective of the Centennial Video Project is to capture the stories of the courageous people that worked to achieve universal suffrage," said Andrea Capere, director and project manager for the Centennial Video Project. "The project will inform our community about continued efforts to reduce inequality in the political process. We hope the project will continue efforts to normalize women in political office, inspire young women to vote, to become engaged in policy development, and to run for office themselves."

The Votes For Women grant will help support several multimedia and voter education projects undertaken by TCMedia including but not limited to:

Washington's Undiscovered Feminists
Presented in part of Humanities Washington's Speakers Bureau program, Seattle, WA writer Mayumi Tsutakawa, talks about five "woman warriors" in the early years of our region.

Women Vote NOW: Suffragists Of Color Who Made A Difference
A commemoration of the 99th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment and the women of color who worked for suffrage, abolition and civil rights.

Public Service Announcements

The Women's Suffrage Centennial History Special
The history special will be a long-form television documentary on the history of women earning the right to vote in Washington state.

To find out more about the Centennial Video Project, visit tcmedia.org or follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @tcmedia_wa. To learn about Votes for Women Centennial events across Washington, visit suffrage100wa.com and follow Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @suffrage100wa.