Women’s Day March celebrates 100 years of the vote

Freeman Stage board members lead the march in Georgetown. DENY HOWETH PHOTOS

Deny Howeth

March 15, 2020

The Freeman Stage continued its year-long program Celebrating Women’s Right to Vote with a 19th Amendment Celebration March 8 on The Circle in Georgetown. About 200 people attended the event wearing the colors of the suffragettes, wearing sashes and carrying signs.

Patti Grimes, Freeman Foundation executive director, described the lives of suffragettes who met fierce resistance, but nevertheless they persisted. Georgetown Mayor Bill West read a proclamation; and Michelle Freeman, CEO of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, reminded all in attendance that the greatest power in this democracy is the vote.

The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation commissioned a poem by JoAnn Balingit, Delaware poet laureate emerita, to celebrate the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Students Savannah Smith and Nina Gracie read three poems, Votes for Women, Aug. 1920; I am a Citizen, August 1965; and Forward, March 2020.

The next scheduled event is a movie and discussion of “Iron Jawed Angels,” 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, at DelTech in Georgetown. Go to www.freemanstage.org for more information.

Students Savannah Smithand Nina Gracie read three poems, Votes for Women, Aug. 1920; I am a Citizen, August 1965; and Forward, March 2020.

Lisa McMasters carries a sign to encourage people to vote.

Ready to rise up are (l-r) Nina Gracie, Diane Albanese, Cape literary specialist; Amie King, Ariel King and Savannah Smith.

Mary Anne Scott wears a pink hat with a button promoting the national women's march.

Mayor Bill West welcomes the crowd as Michelle Freeman looks on.

Drexel Davison, (l-r) Michelle Freeman and Patty Grimes get their photo taken.

Dawn Whitson makes a sash for the march.

Ariel King represents with a badge vest.

Encouraging the vote in 2020 by showing the women who fought for the vote.

The Worcester County Suffragette Centennial Celebration Committee is using the women’s suffrage movement of the past to expedite the 2020 vote. Shown are (l-r) Debbie Gousha, Victoria Wallace, and cochairs Linda Linzwy and Susan Buyer.

Linda Urban is dressed in classic suffragette attire.

Signs pronounce women’s rights equal human rights, and a quote by Alice Paul.

Patti Grimes, Freeman Foundation executive director described the lives of Suffragettes who met fierce resistance, but persisted.

Members of the Suffrage Centennial Celebration Committee of Worcester County, Md., carry a banner in front of the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown March 8, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.