Over the past two weeks I have visited two colleges in the Philadelphia area– West Chester University and Haverford College–with my friend and colleague Margaret Downey. Margaret is a human dynamo and knows how to turn an ordinary table display into an eye-catching magnet with fabric, flowers, artifacts and, most importantly, snacks! Nothing gets a college student’s attention like snacks. The tables were sponsored by the Freethought Society, of which Margaret is founder and president. (You can learn more about the Freethought Society at ftsociety.org.) Margaret was Alice Paul, who carried on the work of Miss Anthony into the 20th century and was instrumental in the ultimate passage of the 19th Amendment. I’m happy to report that almost everyone we spoke to was already registered, but we did manage to find a few who had slipped through the cracks and registered them on the spot! We met some fascinating people and had some very interesting conversations. One highlight was a visit from an all-female acapella group at West Chester. We got to hear them sing and they joined us in a photo op. I hope that our visits reminded people that the struggle for universal suffrage was a long and difficult one and that voting is an essential duty for all citizens.
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