Voter justice for all?

Looking back and wondering

Did Sojourner Truth visit Andover’s campus in 1853 to advocate for women's suffrage? And what were Abbot Academy and Phillips Academy students and teachers doing and saying about women’s rights when this icon of voter justice engaged them? Andover will explore these questions and intriguing facts that connect the school to historic change and passage of the amendment:

“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.”

Andover joins a nationwide movement, as people all over the country offer programs and events to both ponder and celebrate the amendment’s ratification. Led by the Brace Center, an excited group of students, faculty, and staff have launched a year-long effort to better understand and build upon the complex and fascinating history and legacy of the 19th Amendment. “Organizers will commemorate the event and examine the spirit of the movement behind it,” says Corrie Martin, English instructor and faculty advisor to Brace. “They will seek to complicate, interrogate, and agitate as well.”

All-School Meeting on January 17 marked the official campus kick-off and was devoted to unpacking the historical context, including the range of diverse groups who led the 19th- and early 20th century movements for voting rights. Students also introduced an interactive program displaying information about women’s leadership globally, and the launched a series of creative, irreverent—and more serious—“100 events celebrating the 100^th Anniversary” that will take place through 2020. Senior Emma Slibeck '20, a member of the Brace Center Student Advisory Board, conceived the idea as a way to engage the entire community in a sustained dialogue about the meaning of this historic anniversary.

Stay up to date on all these events, and email us at [email protected] for more information or to share your creative ideas for commemorating this historic year!