Washington, D.C. – Today, as the United States recognizes the historic anniversary commemorating the passage of the 19th Amendment which secured the right to vote for women, Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law made the following statement:
“Today we recognize the long and belabored struggle that women endured in their pursuit of the right to vote with Congress’ passage of the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution on June 4, 1919,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “While almost all of the major suffrage organizations were united behind the goals of the 19th amendment, it would take a full year for the states to ratify it. Today, we recognize the 19th Amendment as critical to making our constitution a document that embodies the ideals of a modern-day democracy.”
Clarke continued: “Black women endured an even longer and more protracted struggle to fully access the franchise, a struggle that continues today. Today, we redouble our efforts to make tangible the goals of the 19th Amendment by fighting to lift the barriers that deny any eligible American a voice in our democracy.”
About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 56th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights.
Contact
Reynolds Graves, Lawyers’ Committee, RGraves@LawyersCommittee.org, 202-662-8375
