LWV NEWS
You may have heard of Susan B. Anthony, but have you heard of Nina Otero-Warren or Alice Paul? They, too, were prominent suffragists who fought for women’s right to vote.
“Women’s Votes, Voters’ Voices” is an exhibit produced by the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Los Alamos to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote. The exhibit, delayed a year because of pandemic closures, tells the stories of the fight for voting rights in our nation, state, and county. It focuses on the numerous endeavors and successes of the League of Women Voters at the state and local levels, including the important role played by the LWV of Los Alamos to gain full suffrage for county residents.
Come learn about the suffragists who helped gain voting rights for American women and learn about the members of the local League of Women Voters who led county citizens in formulating a governing charter, in getting their own voting rights, and in improving living conditions on The Hill.
The exhibit will be on display from August 21 through September 21 at the Step Up Gallery at Mesa Public Library.
• See mannequins dressed in vintage clothing
• Take a selfie with a suffragist in jail
• Put in a piece of the jigsaw puzzle featuring famous suffragists
• Play the Votes for Women board game
• Watch a slide show and
• Enter a drawing to win a suffragist sash or a poster
Step Up Gallery is located on the upper level of Mesa Public Library, 2400 Central Ave., Los Alamos. Current hours are: Monday – Thursday, 10am – 8pm, Friday 10am – 6pm, and Saturday 10am- 5pm. Closed Sundays. Masks are required for admission.
Three talks about women’s suffrage will complement the exhibit, all talks can be attended by registering on the Los Alamos Library Event Calendar:
We Demand the Right to Vote: An Evening with Meneese Wall, with artist and author Meneese Wall, August 23, 6pm, by Zoom. Register on the Los Alamos Library event calendar.
Ganaron el Voto: Woman Suffrage and Suffragists in New Mexico, with Sylvia Ramos Cruz, retired general surgeon, writer, and women’s rights activist, August 30, 6pm, hybrid event by Zoom and in person at Mesa Public Library Meeting Room 2/3. Register on the Los Alamos Library event calendar.
La Nina: The Story of Nina Otero-Warren, presented by Deborah Blanche in a Chautauqua dramatization, September 16, 6pm, by Zoom. Co-sponsored by the Los Alamos Historical Society. Register on the Los Alamos Library event calendar. For further information, contact rebecca.shankland@gmail.com, libweb@lacnm.us, or manager@stepupgallery.org.
A December 1947 newspaper clipping discussing a proposal from the League of Woman Voters to have a city manager form of government for Los Alamos. Photo Courtesy LWV
League of Women Voters of Los Alamos members in August 2019 celebrating the Women’s Suffrage 19th Amendment of 1920. Photo Courtesy LWV