When the 19th Amendment passed in 1920, the ways many American women engage civically forever changed. Voter enfranchisement continues to be a touchpoint for movements dedicated to participatory democracy. Count Every Vote, Stroll to the Polls, and Vote That Jawn are all continuations of this legacy of growing civic engagement through the fight for the vote.

Starting this week, the histories and futures of how we ensure and advance voting rights can be explored at the Making Her Mark: Philadelphia Women Fight for the Vote exhibit, now available for in-person visits at Parkway Central Library’s West Gallery at 1901 Vine Street. Vistors can schedule weekday afternoon walkthroughs of the exhibition free of charge via Eventbrite.

Making Her Mark focuses on the timeline of the fight for the vote, how the 19th Amendment came about, how Philadelphia women made vital contributions to that fight, and how efforts to expand voting rights continue today. What better way to continue the conversations and learnings we are engaged in during Women’s History Month than to immerse yourself in the materials we selected to tell the stories of past and present Philadelphia-based leaders, such as:

    
     Lucretia Blankenburg, who in 1914 used a hot air balloon to distribute suffragist literature.


      Faith Bartley and Courtney Bowles and their collaborators at the Reentry Think Tank, who recently a created a reimagined Bill of Rights.

Can’t make it out in person yet? We continue to offer multiple engagement entry points for Making Her Mark, including virtual programming and a digital exhibition – all of which continue through Fall 2021.

Making Her Mark is curated by Jennifer Zarro, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Instruction, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, with Suzanna Urminska. For more information, visit freelibrary.org/exhibitions.