On Friday, learn about five women who made history

It was on Aug. 18th, 1920, that American woman finally won a right denied them since the formation of the United States government.

They won the right to vote.

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had been passed by Congress more than two months prior – on June 4th, actually – but it wasn’t until Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify that the amendment finally received the required agreement by three-fourths of the then-48 states.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of that political and social victory, the Speakers Bureau of Humanities Washington has been sponsoring a series of events dedicated to women’s issues and history.

And the series continues, even in this age of COVID-19 quarantine. Beginning at noon on Friday, Seattle-based freelance writer Mayumi Tsutakawa will stream a talk titled “Washington’s Undiscovered Feminists.”

The event is sponsored by the Seattle Woman’s Century Club . Registration is required ( click here ).

Repeating a program that she delivered last March through WSU-Tri Cities, Tsutakawa will highlight the careers of five notable women: photographer Imogen Cunningham , black American jazz musician Ruby Bishop , Chinese American artist Priscilla Chong Jue, journalist Anna Louise Strong and Native American linguist Vi Hilbert.

As Prof. Tracey Hanshew, WSU Tri‑Cities clinical assistant professor of history, wrote of Tsutakawa’s March event, “In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote, her presentation and ensuing discussion will help to shed light on a variety of important topics and the importance of the woman’s voice and art throughout history.”

An importance, she might have added, that is no longer being ignored.