Letter from the President
Greetings!
Black History Month, Women's History Month, International Women’s Day. We set aside these times to purposely focus on people of the past and present whose commitment, leadership, achievements and drive are responsible for rights, freedoms and advances in today’s world. 

We also honor these people and their accomplishments to give voice and presence to those who were often made silent and invisible. When we Illuminate past achievements, we find inspiration and strength for present day. We identify past errors which then become visible in the present and lead us to continue efforts to improve our world. 

As we celebrate, we examine and learn. This is what the League does best: listen to hear and understand, not to formulate response; seek and share information; engage in education. Using education and information we can take action toward equality, equity and inclusion. 

In other countries, people shed tears and blood to achieve what we have, a voice in our government. Voting is a right and a privilege. We vote because our great grandmothers were not allowed to; because our friends and family could not, based upon the color of their skin: because our neighbors votes are suppressed and because our children and grandchildren cannot yet. 

Choose in this election year to improve situations by voting and by ensuring that every person who is eligible to vote, registers to vote, has access to information and is able to cast their vote. 

Choose in this legislative season to challenge stereotypes, fight bias and broaden perceptions by sharing your views with your legislators and educating friends about the import of doing the same, through phone calls, email, filing witness slips or traveling to Springfield.

I hope that you can find time to explore one or more of these recent suggestions from dear friends which expanded my views. The February 2020 National Geographic story, Last Journey into Slavery , tells the story of the African slaves, and their descendants, who were brought to Mobile, Alabama in 1860, aboard the Clothilda, the last vessel to illegally engage in the transatlantic slave trade, outlawed in 1808.  

Caroline Criado Perez explores gender inequality through examination of our world built on data that is generated only by men. From misdiagnosis in medical treatment to voice recognition software, Perez highlights the oft inconvenient, sometimes dangerous outcomes of gender inequity in Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World of Men .

Read Susan Ware’s book, Why They Marched: Untold Stories of the Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote to find poignant stories of the passion, commitment and accomplishments of a diverse group of 19 women heretofore unheralded.  

As always, your feedback, ideas and stories are appreciated. Please connect with me, [email protected] .  

Remember, your vote is your voice!
President
League of Women Voters of Illinois 
LWV 100th Anniversary Celebration was a SUCCESS!
The LWVIL 100th Anniversary Celebration was a huge success. For those League members and supporters who were unable to attend, our friends at CAN-TV were able to tape and create a lasting memory of this momentous occasion.  Photos are also available  and  articles, interviews and media mentions .
LWVIL League Members Slated for 2020-2022 LWVUS Board
Lali Watt
LWV Wilmette
Sania Irwin
LWV Glen Ellyn
We are pleased to announce the appointment of two dynamic Illinois Leaguers to  the slate of the 2020-2022 National Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters :   Lali Watt and Sania Irwin . 

Lali and Sania are part of a slate of outstanding Leaguers from around the country. The process was calibrated carefully to ensure that the new Board has the appropriate balance of age, racial, occupational and geographic diversity.   

The formal election of the 2020-22 Board of Directors will take place at the National Convention on June 25-28, 2020. Once elected, the newly installed members will begin their tenure immediately.  

Luncheon Update
Important information from the 100th Annivesary Luncheon Committee
The LWVIL 100th Anniversary Luncheon Committee is hard at work making plans for our September 24, 2020 event at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel. It is our hope that most local Leagues will be represented by a table’s worth of attendees (maybe even two!), and that local Leagues in the western, central and southern part of our state will find a way to send some of their members to this once-in-a -century LWVIL event.

We’ve heard about some of your special plans to celebrate the League’s 100th Anniversary. Some of you have already created unique items for your celebrations and others are working on them. If you might be interested in sharing your creations with us to be used as part of the Sept. 24th décor, please send a picture and/or description to  Luncheon Chair Erin Roeper . We look forward to displaying your contributions at the Luncheon.

We will soon provide you with ticket prices and sponsorship details, so be sure to carefully read all future communications from LWVIL.
Illinois Voter Guide
Illinois Voter Guide is LIVE!
The LWVIL Illinois Voter Guide went live on February 6! It's terrific and covers every candidate for every office being contested in Illinois in 2020! 

You can go to the  Illinois Voter Guide  to:
  • find your ballot;
  • learn about the candidates;
  • verify your registration;
  • find your polling location;
  • and, NEW this year, find bar association evaluations of candidates for judge.

To help share the Illinois Voter Guide with your friends, family and community, you can download  the IVG logo and some IVG palm cards and/or business cards to print and share.
Observer Training
Mark your calendars for the next Observer Training in Richton Park, IL.
Questions? Reach out to the Voter Service Committee .
Issues Briefing: 2020 Vision for the Future
Another successful Issues Briefing with a new location but same great content.
LWVIL's Issues Briefing: 2020 Vision for the Future was bigger and better than ever. The day long conference held sessions on: Voter Suppression, Affordable Housing, Gun Violence Prevention, Redistricting, Census, Climate Change and more. Community experts and legislators,including Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, Jen Walling of the Illinois Environmental Council, John Bouman of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Richard Koenig of the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, and many others gave led plenaries and breakout sessions that were both informative and interactive. You can download presentations from the day via the LWVIL website . 
Census Day is April 1st
Click the photo below to watch LWVIL Executive Director Audra Wilson talk with Comcast Newsmakers about the importance of the 2020 Census
April 1st is Census Day and LWVIL wants to make sure that everyone knows how important it is to be counted.

We all need to be counted because the Census will:
  • shape how political power and federal tax dollars are shared in the U.S over the next 10 years;
  • the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets are determined by census numbers;
  • guide how an estimated $880 billion a year in federal funding is distributed for schools, roads and other public services in local communities;
  • and even aid businesses in determining where to build new supermarkets and other businesses important to your community.

For more information about the fast approaching 2020 Census visit the LWVIL website . You can also watch LWVIL Executive Director, Audra Wilson, talk about the upcoming Census on Comcast Newsmakers.

Questions? Reach out to the Issues & Advocacy Committee.
In Memorium
Honoring a 50+ year League member, Mary Cameron V. Woodland and her contributions to the legacy of the League
Mary Cameron V. Woodland (n é e Vogt)  
Born in Rockford, Illinois on January 12th, 1921 to William and Ida (Thornton) Vogt Jr., the older of two children. Predeceased by both parents and her younger brother William. Mary is survived by her husband of 67 years Bertram and their two sons Trevor Woodland of Greenwich, Connecticut, his former wife Lori and Alan Woodland (Sarah) of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She had three loving grandsons, Alan’s son Gareth and Trevor’s sons Owen (and fiancée Hayley Clark) and Liam. She also leaves a number of nieces and nephews. 

Mary received degrees in geology and geography from Smith College, Clark University and Bryn Mawr College, culminating in a Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. The later was made possible through a Fulbright Scholarship (which Mary was one of the first female recipients). Mary served as a research geologist on the Manhattan Project and on projects for the U.S. Army Signal Corps and the U.S: Geological Survey. She also taught geology at a number of colleges and universities. Later in life, she founded the consulting firm Environmental Geoservices, producing, among other things, the Illinois State Handbook on Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control. 

Mary and Bertram moved to Homewood in 1958, where they raised their family. She was involved in many civic activities including serving as Trustee for the Village of Homewood for 8 years (1971-1979) and several governmental organisations related to soil and water conservation. She was deeply concerned with the problem of flood control in the south suburbs and worked hard to develop a regional infrastructure to reduce the potential for flooding. Her work was acknowledged in the naming of the Dr. Mary Woodland Reservoir in nearby Lynwood. Mary was a 50+ year member of the League of Women Voters and active in the Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve . She was a founding member of the Homewood Historical Society and served as one of its early presidents. In 2009, she was elected to the Homewood Hall of Fame, along with her husband.

We are honored to have her as member and indebted to her and her family for their dedication to the League's mission.
100th Anniversary Article
New Article sharing the history and legacy of the League.
A new 100th Anniversary League Article is now available! The article, entitled Women's History Month, is penned by League member Marge Massarello, and features great information about the origins of Women's History Month including some songs from the era.

Don't forget these articles can be used in your local League newsletter, on your website, as press releases to your local media and can even help in reaching out to your local history museum and/or library to start discussions about partnering for an exhibit. If you have any questions about the 100th Anniversary Committee , the tool kit or articles, please reach out to 100th Anniversary Chair Mary Kubasak .
Local League Spotlight
LWVIL Local Leagues and members are doing amazing things in their communities.
The League of Women Voters Freeport, IL has been hard at work! Through community outreach at local high schools, the local community college, 3 food pantries, 14 churches, several senior living centers, the public library, and even during visits with Santa, members were able to register more than 150 new voters in their community since Fall 2019! In addition, LWV Freeport was recently honored in February by Freeport Mayor Jodi Miller with a proclamation recognizing the League’s 100 th anniversary. LWV Freeport also continues to have monthly educational programs open to the wider community, including the upcoming 50 th Anniversary of Earth Day.
Upcoming Candidate Forums
LWVIL local Leagues are holding numerous candidate forums throughout the state. Please visit the LWVIL website to learn more about all of the forums on all levels of government.



Important Dates to Remember


Please note that this list of important dates is not exhaustive. You can find more events on the LWVIL Events Calendar .
The League of Women Voters Illinois Education Fund (LWVILEF) encourages the informed and active participation in government by providing civic education and voter services. Make a difference today for you and your community with a  tax-deductible gift to support our work to defend democracy and empower voters.
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