The League of Women Voters gave a presentation at the Orange County Regional History Center (65 E. Central Blvd. Orlando, Florida 32801) as part of the 2019 Brechner Speaker Series about the role of women as “Warriors for Democracy” which is the League’s theme for a
celebration of historic events that begins in 2019 and culminates with
the centennial of the women’s right to vote in 2020.
This program featured a multimedia presentation with five League speakers. These five speakers each dresses in outfits that reflected women’s fashion in the decade that they addresses in turn. The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution became law on August 26th, 1920, granting women the right to vote. Florida was not one of the states ratifying the amendment, and in fact it did not do so until 1969. Despite Florida not ratifying the amendment, women began to run for office in Central Florida. Edna Giles Fuller of Orange County, was the first woman elected to the Florida Legislature in 1929.
“May of 2019 marked the 80th birthday of the League of Women Voters of Orange County, and August 2020 will be the centennial of women’s right to vote,” noted Gloria Pickar, the local League’s co-president for 2018-2019. “Partnering with the History Center helps us to capture and share the story of the determined women and men who have fought for many years to empower voters and defend democracy in Central Florida and beyond.” The Warriors for Democracy History Book written by Anne Patton was also available at the end of the event.