The Nineteenth

A leader in an American community that is commonly overlooked, Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz is a growing, strong woman that will insist that Puerto Rico is not forgotten. She may bring Puerto Rico into statehood, and I hope to see that day with her at the helm. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. Serving as the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico since 2013, Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz has dealt with significant issues within her country, and she is the current candidate for Governor of Puerto Rico. Mayor Cruz graduated Cum Laude from Boston University and received a Master of Science in Public Management and Policy at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Her service and contributions were a significant part of her life, earning the Spirit Award. She quickly went into politics of her country, winning her first election in 2008, and elevating her to the Ranking Member of the Woman Affairs Committee. She gained support for each of her elections and w

Washington D.C. may not have official statehood, nor do they have representation in Congress or the Senate, but they are a wealth of revolutionary women with stories to tell. Noor Al-Hussein, Queen Dowager of Jordan, has two degrees of separation from me! Can you believe it! If I met her, I could say, "Do you remember Jon Pettit?" She may say no. But I could ask.  Washington D.C. is not a state, but the actions of the country in this year during our quarantine has moved the needle more than ever before. Per Wikipedia, " On June 26, 2020, the House of Representatives passed the D.C. Statehood Act 232–180 largely along party lines; ...  It is not expected to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.  It was the first time statehood was ever approved by either chamber." Maybe we will be entering a time when we have a union of 51 states. After we talk again next week, maybe we can convince the Country to be 52. Born Lisa Najeeb Halaby, her father was an aide to the US Secr

The organization that brought women together 100 years ago has continued to grow and develop over the past 100 years. Today, I am officially a member of the LWV Seattle - King County chapter! Let's make some change in 2020! In 1920, the League of Women Voters was founded to help women be more active in public affairs. Its goal was to support women to be strong voters. Today, the organization has been opened to men (since 1973) and operates at local, state, and national levels. It does not support candidates or parties, but it does advocate for public policy decisions. Their current platform includes health care reform, education, increasing voter registration, the environment, and immigration. The organization was conceptualized by Emma Smith DeVoe in SEATTLE! (WOOT!) at the National American Women Suffrage Association convention in 1909. They were fighting for education about the voting system and lobby for women’s issues. It did not take hold at the convention, and she w

Hawaii is my tropical land that I have been lucky to frequent regularly. It is a beautiful state full of culture and life. As the last monarch of Hawai'i, her life worked to maintain the culture of  Hawai'i as American came to the land more and more. Hawaii became a state on August 21, 1959 as the last of the 50 American states. It is hopeful that we may have a #51 and #52 in my lifetime. Lydia Kamakaeha was born to a high-ranking family. Her mother, Keohokalole was an advisor to King Kamehameha III. Marrying an American ship captain, John Owen Dominus, in 1862, he became governor of Oahu and Maui. She was named heir to the throne when her older and younger brothers passed away in 1874 and 1877. As queen, she worked to organize schools for Hawaiian youth. As a musician, she wrote many songs and chants including the national anthem of Hawai’i, Aloha Oe. She was received by Queen Victoria at the Crown Jubilee in London with President Grover Cleveland and Kalakaua’s wif

Alaska became a state after the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, so was required to accept the Nineteenth Amendment in their constitution. But that did not mean they did not have issues and reasons to fight for equality of all people. This issue is rampant. And Ms. Peratrovich was at the helm. Alaska became the 49th State of the United States of America on January 3, 1959. Ms. Peratrovich was born a member of the Lukaax.adi clan in the Raven Moiety of the Tlingit nation. Orphaned at a young age, she was adopted by a fisherman and minister. The Peratrovich family was discriminated against as a Native in public facilities. The family advocated to ban signs for “No Natives Allowed”and lobbied for organizations. Governor Gruening passed a bill to provide full and equal accommodations for all citizens, 20 years before the US Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Living in Juneau with her husband and family, they found more extensive social and racial discrimination agai

I was so impressed by a presentation of Pelicia Hall at a conference I attended in October 2019. She spoke honestly of her position as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections for the State of Mississippi, and learning about her role and experiences on the professional side of corrections beyond the built environment. Mississippi was the final of the 48 states to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment because in 1920 there were only 48 states. They adopted the Nineteenth Amendment into their constitution on March 22, 1984. Pelicia Hall was the first woman Commissioner of the Department of Corrections for the State of Mississippi from 2017-2019. Appointed by the Governor following Marshall Fisher whom she was chief of staff to before he was promoted to commissioner of Public Safety. Ms. Hall was a lawyer with Page< Kruger & Holland of Jackson, MS, leading cases on personal injury claims, employment discrimination, contract disputes, product liability, general tort litigati