We have a brand new contributor to introduce here at 365Barrington.com and, guess what, she’s only six months old!
That’s right, this wee little Tower Laker has over 10,000 Instagram followers at Instagram.com/PhotographyofLiberty for her role in celebrating influential women in history. Since Liberty was just weeks old, her mom Jenelle has been dressing her up to pay tribute to those who’ve fought for and helped protect women’s rights.
On this election day, Liberty has a message for us. A reminder about how things used to be….
“The right to vote was not always considered a right, especially for women who have only been able to do so for the past 98 years! Make your voice heard! Your vote matters! Get out and vote today!.”
A little while back, Liberty shared more on the issue of women’s suffrage with this post….
Women’s suffrage in the United States of America, the legal right of women to vote, was established over the course of several decades, first in various states and localities, sometimes on a limited basis, and then nationally in 1920. Hoping that the U.S. Supreme Court would rule that women had a constitutional right to vote, suffragists made several attempts to vote in the early 1870s and then filed lawsuits when they were turned away. After the Supreme Court ruled against them in 1875, suffragists began the decades-long campaign for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would enfranchise women. In 1916 Alice Paul formed the National Woman’s Party (NWP), a militant group focused on the passage of a national suffrage amendment. Over 200 NWP supporters, the Silent Sentinels, were arrested in 1917 while picketing the White House, some of whom went on hunger strike and endured forced feeding after being sent to prison. Under the leadership of Carrie Chapman Catt, the two-million-member NAWSA also made a national suffrage amendment its top priority. After a hard-fought series of votes in the U.S. Congress and in state legislatures, the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920. It states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” (*Source*)
A few weeks ago, Liberty dressed up just like Bella Abzug (Battling Bella) to highlight her contribution to advancing women’s rights in our world.
Here’s Little Liberty’s reflection on Battling Bella…
Bella Abzug (Battling Bella): ”This woman’s place is in the House—the House of Representatives.” A leading liberal activist and politician, Bella Abzug was especially known for her work for women’s rights. After graduating from Columbia University’s law school, she became involved with the antinuclear and peace movements. In the 1960s, she helped organize the Women Strike for Peace and the National Women’s Political Caucus. Seeking to make a greater impact, she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she advocated for women’s rights and withdrawal from Vietnam. After leaving office in 1977, Abzug continued to work on many causes, including the establishment the Women’s Environmental Development Organization. Abzug devoted her energies to women’s rights up to the final years of her life. As chair of New York City’s Commission on the Status of Women, she directed a national campaign to increase the number of women in public office. (*Source*)
Liberty’s mission is quickly catching on. She already has an impressive following with recent photo reposts by celebrities like soccer star, Abby Wambach, best-selling-author Glennon Doyle and more! Her images were featured last week on The View‘s Halloween special. They’ve been interviewed by multiple local and national media companies, including The Today Show, and are scheduled to appear on CBS Chicago tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at 11 a.m.
If you’d like to hear more from Little Liberty Wexler, you’re in the right place! We’ll be sharing more of her posts here at 365Barrington.com. We also have a few fun “making-of-the photo” images up our sleeve to share with you so stay tuned. And be sure to follow Liberty’s latest posts at Instagram.com/PhotographyofLiberty.
