Overcoming Voter Suppression in 2020 and Beyond
Did you know that Tennessee ranks 45th among states in voter registration? Did you know Tennessee had the next-to-worst voter turnout among states for the 2016 presidential election?
These are just two of the many insights you'll learn Sunday in the last installment of the United Methodist Women's series on voting rights. The series, sponsored by the Belmont and Edgehill UMWs, is called "The 19th Amendment and Its Relevance 100 Years Later."
Speakers Lisa Quigley, Shanna Hughey, and Tequila Johnson will not only inform you about Tennessee's standing in voting rights, but they will also energize you to do something about it. Quigley is chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, who represents Nashville in the House of Representatives. Hughey is president of Think Tennessee, and Johnson is co-founder and vice president of Equity Alliance.
They will discuss the aftereffects of the 19th amendment, racial politics and voting rights, and how Tennessee may have failed to live up to its legacy for voting-rights change. Their session promises to answer questions, and inspire action.
Two history professors kick off UMW 19th amendment series
Two Nashville historians will kick off a three-part series, “The 19th Amendment and Its Relevance 100 Years Later” set for this evening, July 26, and August 2. The digital presentations are sponsored by the United Methodist Women (UMW) of Belmont and Edgehill UMCs and are being held each night from 5:00-6:00pm through Belmont UMC’s Facebook live platform.
Speakers on July 19 will be Carole Bucy, a professor of history at Volunteer State Community College and Davidson County Historian, and Linda Wynn, an instructor of history and public administration at Fisk University, expert on African-American history, and assistant director for state programs at the Tennessee Historical Commission. They will discuss “Race, Religion and Politics in Tennessee’s Battle to Ratify the 19th Amendment.”
The July 26 session will feature Belmonters Margaret Behm, a Nashville attorney, and Claudia Bonnyman, retired chancellor for the Davidson County Chancery Court. They will speak on “The 19th Amendment: The Power of Women and the Power of the Vote.” Behm is a co-founder of the Votes for Women room at the Nashville Public Library, while Bonnyman’s great-grandfather, A. H. Roberts, was Tennessee’s governor when the amendment passed.
Finally, August 2’s presentation will be led by Lisa Quigley, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper; Tequila Johnson, cofounder and vice president of Equity Alliance; and Shanna Hughey, president of Think Tennessee. They will focus on “Overcoming Voter Suppression in 2020 and Beyond.”
These presentations can be viewed by going to our Facebook page at 5:00pm and clicking on “videos.” You do not need a Facebook account in order to view this.When the prompt for signing up or creating an account pops up, simply ignore it.
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Almost 100 years ago, Nashville was at the center of a political firestorm. Tennessee’s General Assembly was about to vote on the 19th Amendment and the state was the last chance for an amendment guaranteeing the right to vote for women.
Belmont UMC and Edgehill’s United Methodist Women (UMW) will be transporting us to those tense and dramatic days of 1920 through a three-part series of digital presentations. Speakers for the July 19, July 26, and August 2 presentations will include historians, activists, and experts on suffrage, voter suppression, and the long road to equality.
The hour-long sessions will feature comments with some of the leading experts on racial and gender justice, and participants will have a chance to ask questions. All three virtual meetings will begin at 5:00pm. Stay tuned for access information.