2020 marks the 100 year anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. To mark this milestone, Texas Women’s Foundation is launching “Count Her In,” a social media campaign celebrating 100 people, organizations and milestones that have advanced voting rights for Texas women from the earliest days of the suffrage movement through the present day. The campaign runs for 62 weeks, from June 28, 2019, the same day that Texas ratified the 19th Amendment in 1919, to August 26, 2020, celebrated as Women’s Equality Day. The campaign tells stories of women and men in Texas who were leaders in voters’ rights, with the goal to educate and activate more people, particularly women, to register and exercise their right to vote.
Roslyn Dawson Thompson, Texas Women’s Foundation president and CEO, said, “With our goal to transform Texas for women and girls, Texas Women’s Foundation believes that can only take place when women are full participants, and a critical way to achieve that is by motivating more women to exercise their right to vote. This project can be a catalyst for women across the state to understand their rights and use them.”
Examples of trailblazers highlighted in the campaign include:
Christia V. Daniels Adair – A Houston activist who was both a suffragist and civil rights leader. Adair worked for the Houston NAACP during the landmark Smith v. Allwright case, which ended whites-only primary elections in the South.
Carlos Martinez, Advocacy Alliance Center of Texas – Martinez currently manages the outreach of civic engagement to improve voter turnout in Southeast Texas. “Women are absolutely crucial to our mission… they know how to organize and they have such influence,” he said when speaking about how women are impacting their mission. He is working hard to lead their team towards a goal of 65% voter participation in South Texas by 2020.
William P. Hobby – A key political ally in the Texas suffrage movement, Hobby was Texas governor when the state ratified the 19th amendment on June 28, 1919.
Edith Therrel Wilmans – A suffrage leader, lawyer and mother of three, Wilmans was also the first woman elected to the Texas State Legislature. She helped create the Dallas Housewives League and the Dallas Equal Suffrage Association.
Nonie B. Mahoney – When a bill allowing women to vote in the Texas primary election came before the state legislature, Dallas suffrage leader Nonie Mahoney secured a key “yes” vote from a Dallas legislator when she gathered 10,000 petition signatures in a matter of days.
The “Count Her In” campaign aims to influence 300,000 Texas women citizens to register to vote, seeking to increase by 3 percent the number of Texas women who are registered. There will be a link to register to vote on each campaign social media post and on the campaign’s web page.
According to Dawson Thompson, “This campaign will be true reflection of our Texas Women’s Foundation’s history, focus and practices that center on diversity, equity and inclusion.”
About Texas Women’s Foundation
Texas Women’s Foundation, formerly Dallas Women’s Foundation, is investing to Transform Texas for Women and Girls, empowering them to build stronger, more equitable communities throughout Texas. One of the world’s largest women’s funds, it is a trusted leader in advocating for and advancing economic security for Texas women, girls and families, and ensuring women and girls are enabled and supported in taking leadership roles in every sector in the state. With more than $35 million in assets, Texas Women’s Foundation raises approximately $9 million a year to underwrite groundbreaking statewide research on issues affecting women and girls – providing decision-makers and lawmakers with critical data to inform policies, practices and programs in the state. Funds also sustain the Foundation’s $6 million in annual grants, mission-focused gendered asset investments, and support for innovative programs and solutions to help Texas women and girls thrive. For more information, visit www.txwf.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram or donate now.