www.ggrwhc.org  | 616-574-7307
August 2019 News and Events
They Persisted! Honoring the Work of American Suffragists on Equality Day

United States suffragists persisted for over 70 years and four generations organizing referenda, circulating countless petitions, and giving speeches, even though they were frequently harassed and ridiculed just because they wanted the right to vote. Finally on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment guaranteeing universal suffrage became the law of the land.

In order to honor the women and men who kept up the non-violent fight for a woman's right to vote, Congress passed a resolution declaring August 26 as Equality Day. Proposed by Rep. Bella Abzug in 1971, it was passed in 1973 and since then presidents have issued a proclamation annually in commemoration of that day in 1920.

GGRWHC will honor Equality Day and Grand Rapids activists, like those pictured here from 1910, on August 22 from 12-1:30pm near the food trucks on the GRAM patio where we will have photos and handouts about the local movement. 


GGRWHC and Women Artists at GRAM
Thursday, September 5 at 6:30pm

Join the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council for an evening of art at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) and learn more about artists Maya Lin and Melanie Daniel. One of GRAM’s docents will guide us through the gallery featuring  Maya Lin: Flow , an exhibition of recent large-scale sculptures by this renowned artist. In the adjacent gallery we will see and hear about works by Michigan artist Melanie Daniel. This exhibition is filled with bold, colorful works exploring humankind’s relationship with the natural world.

Admission is Free. Please arrive through the Monroe Center entrance and proceed to the front desk where you will be greeted by Susan Coombes of GRAM and GGRWHC. Parking is available in nearby lots – Ellis Parking on Monroe Center, city ramps with entrances on Ionia or Ottawa; free on-street parking is also available in the evening. 
Newly Digitized Collection at the Grand Rapids Public Library Highlights the Suffrage Movement in Grand Rapids

With thanks to a grant provided by the Nokomis Foundation fund of the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation and a very hard working woman named Hope Ketcham-Geeting, many items pertaining to the suffrage movement in Grand Rapids have recently been digitized and made easily (and publicly!) accessible online as part of the digital collections held by the Grand Rapids Public Library’s History & Special Collections department. 

The collection -- called Suffrage Movement in Grand Rapids -- is comprised of publications, such as the Michigan Suffragist , convention literature, ephemera, correspondence, family scrapbooks, reports, and photographs highlighting the participation of Michigan women in the suffrage movement of the early 20th century. Primarily, the materials in this collection date between 1889 and 1920, and contain information pertaining to many key historical moments, public sentiments, and political actions that marked this pivotal time in the nation’s history. While coverage is presented for the state of Michigan as a whole, much of the material focuses attention on the work and lives of women in Grand Rapids and the greater West Michigan area.

A link to the digitized collection, Suffrage Movement in Michigan, can be found at the following link: https://grpl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16055coll19 . The collection is searchable by keyword, and all items in the collections are available for download, which provides opportunities for further study, scholarship, and analysis.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 27 - Dedication of Dr. Pearl Kendrick, Dr. Grace Eldering and Loney Clinton Gordon grouping of statues, in honor of their pertussis research and creation of the whooping cough vaccine, at Michigan State University Grand Rapids Research Center
OCTOBER 5 - Ottawa Hills Tour featuring Homes designed by female architects. Architectural researcher Pamela VanderPloeg will present on a group of female architects who designed homes in the Ottawa Hills neighborhood. A walking tour of the neighborhood and a few select homes will follow the presentation.
Her Legacy: Hattie Beverly (1874 - 1904)
First African-American School Teacher in Grand Rapids

Have you seen our "Her Legacy" features in Women's Lifestyle magazine? Click here to read the full story about Hattie Beverly in the July issue!
GGRWHC |   www.ggrwhc.org   | 616-574-7307
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Thank you for your interest in preserving and celebrating the history of the many phenomenal women who've helped to shape West Michigan!  If you aren't already a member of the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council, consider showing your support through annual membership.  Visit our  website  for more information!
Hats off to the historical women who've shaped West Michigan!