The League of Women Voters of East Alabama hosted a sold-out event Wednesday night, Aug. 26, at Amsterdam Café honoring the 95th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted the women the right to vote. Auburn University’s Women’s Leadership Institute also co-sponsored the event.
The event’s guest speaker was Lilly Ledbetter, who was successful in suing Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company after working for them for years for less pay than men holding the same job. Her success led to the development of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was the first bill President Obama signed after his election in 2009.
“After listening to Lilly Ledbetter speak I felt really hopeful for our future as women and inspired to go out and do something to make a change,” said Ashley Bradley, senior in social work.
The event reflected the mission of the League of Women Voters of East Alabama to “make a democracy strong and reflective of Auburn, Opelika, and the rest of Lee County.”
“It felt fantastic to reach out to so many women, we could not have asked for a better event, a better turnout, a better co-sponsor, better members, or a better speaker. It all came together to nicely,” said local league president Kristen De La Fuente.
Women and men of all ages were in attendance and everyone wore yellow roses, the symbol of the womens’ suffrage movement.
“I want Auburn women to learn that they need to not only talk the talk but walk the walk," said Barbara Baker, executive director of Auburn University’s Women’s Leadership Institute. "We all need to get a little bit more courage together to speak up for ourselves and to make sure that we have the equality we deserve.”
The first step to voting is to register to vote. The League of Women Voters makes it a priority to host multiple voter registration events all over east Alabama with numerous events around National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 22. This year, the League of Women Voters’ goal is to register over 1,000 voters. They have already registered nearly 150 voters in the past few months.
The League of Women Voters is always looking for new volunteers and members. Visit www.lwv-eastalabama.org, Facebook or Twitter to learn more about upcoming events and membership information.
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