 In This Issue AAUW Resources
| AAUW Women's History Spotlight: Alice Paul By Andrea Horner, Roanoke College, Virginia By taking a radical approach to the process of securing passage of the 19th amendment, Alice Paul and the National Womens Party kept the womens suffrage movement at the top of both public interest and outrage by staging countless protests, rallies, and hunger strikes. The fight to obtain the right for women to vote was an all-out war. Many women who worked with Alice Paul were beaten, spit upon, ridiculed, and even murdered for their beliefs. Alice Paul was imprisoned countless times. The time spent in prison was a powerful strategy for the movement. The prospect of women dying in prison because of their refusal to eat was embarrassing to government officials and raised public sympathy to the suffragists cause. After more than 55 years of struggle, on Aug. 18, 1920, Paul and her suffragettes finally reached their goal with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Much like the key figures read about in elementary school (such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King), Alice Paul knew she was using persuasive nonviolent tactics for fighting the good fight and didnt stop until she won. As a Quaker and an activist for peace movements and social justice issues, Alice Paul is a role model for womens rights advocates everywhere. Her determination, powerful leadership, and passion for equity for women are qualities to which every young feminist should aspire. Remember, your right to vote isnt just about the presidential election every four years. It extends to all of the local and state elections that impact our lives from the ground up. Honor the work of women like Alice Paul who fought to give you that right by participating in every election. Interested in more info about the politics of the voting process? Learn more by visiting AAUWs Voter Education pages, MTVs Rock the Vote, and the League of Women Voters. >> Actress Hilary Swank portrayed a fiesty and determined Alice Paul in the 2004 HBO movie Iron Jawed Angels. Iron Jawed Angels recounts the suffragist struggle to pass the 19th ammendment and Paul's freshly radical efforts toward that end. The movie is now available on DVD through Amazon.com, an AAUW Member Advantage partner. Each time you order books, music, and more from online discounter Amazon.com through AAUWs website, a percentage of your sale supports AAUWs programs and services. (Order today) |
Dont let the white dress fool you. Alice Paul was one of the rowdiest rebels ever to fight for the causes she believed in and she wasnt afraid to get dirty doing it. Its hard to believe that just over 80 years ago women were not seen as human enough to be considered full citizens and were denied one of the most fundamental rights any human being is entitled to: the right to vote. Alice Paul was one of the strongest voices in a suffragist movement that spanned nearly a century. In more ways than one From what she said to how she acted, Paul stood up against an outdated system that left women in the dark about how their government is run, declaring with fierce certainty that the right to vote was a right everyone was entitled to, without regard to an individuals sex, race, color, or creed. 