The Nineteenth

Bringing up one of the singers of my young adult life ... college would not have been the same without Tori Amos. North Carolina adopted the Nineteenth Amendment into their constitution on May 6, 1971. Tori Amos was born to play and write music. She was replaying songs at the age of 2 after only needing to hear them one time, and composing music by the age of 3. Her honed ear was able to replay songs after hearing them one time. She describes feeling music as seeing a “light filament” when it has come clear to her. The chord progressions provide a “kaleidoscope” of images, and the more she focused, the more detailed the light became. At five she was admitted to the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins where she studied until she was 11. Her “rebellion” of traditional music had her dismissed from the program, and she went her own way. She began performing in bars and venues with her father’s support at thirteen, and by 1979 she began her career with her band “Y Kant...

A comedian, humanitarian, and honest person, showing that you can be just who you are. Ellen DeGeneres has taught me a lot. I don't avidly follow her, but I have seen her throughout my life. Louisiana signed the Nineteenth Amendment to their constitution on June 11, 1970. Television comedian and actress, Ellen DeGeneres, opened America to LGBT issues coming out to the public in 1997 on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Starring in her self-named TV sitcom “Ellen”, the fourth season revealed her personal and show character’s lesbian truth. The theme and storyline of the show developed around issues of LGBT community, focusing on the coming out process. The show was canceled in 1998, but she continued to develop her stage presence, starting the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Her personal style, humor, and character segments make her show popular in daytime television, winning 61 Daytime Emmy Awards, surpassing The Oprah Winfrey Show with eleven best show awards. She advocates for many human...

A simple gesture and sentiment that grew to be a century long tradition helping disabled veterans in the world, Moina Michael created the silk poppy memorial pins and brought awareness, compassion, and therapy to people. Georgia adopted the Nineteenth Amendment to their constitution on February 20, 1970. While Ms. Moina Michael was vacationing  in Germany in summer of 1914, World War 1 broke out, leaving many tourists stranded or frightened. She traveled to Rome to get return passage to America, and as working to get home assisted around 12,000 US tourists. As America entered the war in 1917, she took a leave of absence to volunteer with the overseas YWCA workers. In 1918, she shared a poem “We Shall Keep the Faith” and vowed to wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for all veterans of the war. To raise money to support disabled veterans in her classes after the war, she began to sell pins of silk poppies, and by 1921 the poppy was adopted as a symbol of remembrance ...

As organizations have been posting things to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, there are many comments noting that this did only benefit white women. In light of the protests this week, it is an ideal time for me to educate myself on why this is the case. And the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is at the core of this. The Nineteenth Amendment allowed women to vote. The wording of the order fell prey to the current social issues of not addressing “all” women. This wording left many women from the polling booths. Only white women and a small number of northern states that already allowed women of race to vote in 1920. On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 into law. This allowed millions of people, men and women, to register to vote. State by state laws could no longer disenfranchise African Americans to vote, typically done with poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence at polling stations. States like ...

This weekend was a huge and impactful step in racial issues of the United States. This battle has been going on for over 400 years. And 100 years ago ... there were people pointing to the solutions. Working to make a difference and bring all people to the same view across America. It hasn't taken hold yet. But here is one woman that dedicated her life above and beyond all other issues to make the difference.  South Carolina adopted the Nineteenth Amendment to their constitution on July 1, 1969. Ms. McLeod Bethune spent her life promoting education and respect for African American people. She started working in fields with her family at age five, her parents being slaves. Her early interest in education began as a white friend challenged her because she was unable to read. She fought through the limitations and was able to attend college. She started the Bethune-Cookman School for African-American girls ...

Whether you believe it is true or not, Amy Dumas, WWE Hall of Fame Wrestler, is legit. She fights and she wins. Florida ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to their constitution on May 13, 1969. Ms. Dumas, known more commonly in her most notable profession as “Lita”, is also an animal welfare activist and singer. Wrestling from 2000-2007, she joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014. She was part of “Team Xtreme” with Matt and Jeff Hardy where she developed her alternative style, and a heel wrestler in 2005-6. She was an overall four time champion for WWE. Ms. Dumas struggled through school, graduating high school after transferring many times and starting Georgia State University for a short bit, never to graduate. Her interest in wrestling stemmed from watching Rey Mysterio Jr., a Mexican-American luchador. She moved to Mexico to be trained and developed her style before returning to USA in 1998. The “story” of her career began as the on-screen girlfriend of Danny Doring. She conti...

Helen Keller spoke more than most Americans through the pain and hardships that she lived every day. She was an inspiration to everyone. To me. Alabama was the 42nd State to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment on September 8, 1958. Ms. Keller lost her hearing and sight before she turned two years old in what is now thought to be meningitis or scarlet fever. Being too young to understand the concept of words and speaking, she struggled to communicate with people. She spoke brokenly with the young daughter of the cook until Anne Sullivan was directed to them as a teacher and partner to Ms. Keller. Anne Sullivan taught Helen that every object or item had an associated word which she “wrote” into Helen’s hand. The epiphany of what words meant was mind blowing to Helen as she finally felt the power of communication and community around her. A modern columnist summed a tour of Helen and Anne Sullivan saying, “According to those who attended, Helen Keller spoke of the joy that life gave ...