Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 8-9-19

Feature
State Rep. Appointed To Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
State Rep. Fentrice Driskell was recently ap- pointed to serve on the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. The bipartisan commission was created to lead Florida’s efforts to com- memorate the immense ac- complishments of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, which led to the successful passage of the 19th Amend- ment to the U. S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.
“I would like to thank Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva for appointing me to the Women’s Suffrage Centen-
nial Commission. As a cham- pion for gender equality, I be- lieve that it is incredibly important for Florida to com- memorate women having gained the right to vote 100 years ago.
“The 19th Amendment so- lidified women’s equal access to the core American value of voting and elevated women’s ability to participate in socie- tal change. I look forward to working alongside fellow members of the Commission to develop thoughtful and ex- citing ways for our state to cel- ebrate this historic milestone.”
Currently, Rep. Driskell serves as the State Represen- tative for Florida House Dis-
FENTRICE DRISKELL State Representative
trict 63. Her district includes the communities of Carroll- wood, Lake Magdalene, Lutz, University, New Tampa, and Pebble Creek in Hillsborough County.
Rep. Driskell’s experi- ence as Co-Chairperson of the Florida Bar’s Subcommittee on Gender Equality, and her work on its Special Committee on Gender Bias will be invalu- able additions to the Commis- sion.
The 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment grants, “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...
“Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”
It was first introduced as an Amendment in Congress in 1868 and rejected. Ten years later, it was introduced again
by California Senator Baron A. Sargent in 1878, and re- jected again for the next 41 years.
The Amendment was passed in 1919 in the exact text of the bill introduced by Sen- ator Sargent. It was ap- proved by Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the states on August 18, 1920.
Amendment 19 followed Amendment 15, which made it illegal for the state or federal government to deny any U. S. citizen the right to vote. Amendment 15 passed on February 26, 1869 and was ratified on February 3, 1870.
Amendment 19, which is gender neutral, unified the suffrage laws.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDA PAGE 3-A