​Nashua's Virtual Program To Commemorate Womens' Suffrage

NASHUA, NH — This August marks the 100th anniversary of women being given the right to vote in the United States, and Nashua mayor Jim Donchess is honoring the anniversary with a virtual event starring special guests and information about voting in New Hampshire.

After decades of work from women leaders, the right to vote was cemented with the 19th amendment, ratified by a majority vote on Aug. 18, 1920. It was added to the constitution a week later.

Now, Donchess is remembering the occasion with a broadcast that will be shared live on his Facebook page and on Nashua CTV Channel 16.

In a news release, Donchess said his guests will include:

• U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen
• State Senators Cindy Rosenwald and Melanie Levesque
• Congresswoman Annie Kuster
• Dr. Sindiso Mnisi Weeks
• Freelance writer and Telegraph columnist June Lemen
• Community activist Sandy Belknap
• Journalist and author Quincy Whitney
• Readings and re-enactments from the Nashua Theater Guild and Actor Singers
• Music of the Suffrage movement performed by students the Nashua Community Music School

“We cannot overstate the importance of those women on whose shoulders we stand today. I urge all women to ponder what we owe to those who braved the paths before us,” Quincy Whitney said in a statement. “A perfect way to do them honor is to cherish their history, know their stories and visit the Cathedral of the Pines. Every New Hampshire woman has a special legacy of national significance in their own backyard."

In the broadcast, guests will also share information about registering to vote along with news clippings and photos from the suffrage era provided by the Nashua Historical Society.

"I'm honored to be part of the City of Nashua's Centennial Celebration of the 19th Amendment. It's important we not only acknowledge this milestone in US and Women's History, but also to understand that it took decades for the US women's suffrage movement to finally win the right to vote in 1920,” Belknap, an activist, said in a statement. “Sharing such history at this time will hopefully encourage all of us to be more active in our own community with civic engagement and to never take this incredible right for granted."