Public Invited to Join Virtual Constitution Day Events at USC Aiken

Aiken, SC (09/12/2020) — The University of South Carolina Aiken's annual Constitution Day events will focus on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, and the public is invited to participate virtually in all aspects of the celebration on Sept. 17. All events will be accessed through https://www.usca.edu/constitution-day.

Beyond the 19th Amendment: The Push for the ERA

This online panel discussion features Karin Sisk and Barbara Fry of the South Carolina League of Women Voters and UofSC Aiken student-leader Amethyst Marroquin. Dr. Sarah Young, of the USC Aiken Political Science Department, will moderate the discussion.

The panel will discuss the efforts of women's rights advocates in advancing the Equal Rights Amendment in the decades that followed the enactment of the 19th Amendment. Panelists will share first-hand experiences in organizing for the ratification of the ERA in the 70s and in recent years. They will also speak about the current status of the ERA.

Virtual attendees will be able to submit questions for the panel while viewing the event on their computers.

The 19th Amendment: The Compromises Made for Suffrage

This recorded lecture will detail the story of activists who organized around the passage of the 19th Amendment. Sisk will share a historical account of the women's suffrage movement, including material that discusses the complicated issues related to expansion of women's voting rights in the South and throughout the country.

Who are We the People?: Constitutional Amendments and the Right to Vote

The Constitution begins with the words "We The People," though at the time it was written this included only a limited set in society since only some could fully participate politically by voting. Krumm will examine the meaning of the right to vote, how the Constitution has been amended to expand voting rights, the power of voting, and the remaining limits on who is fully part of "We The People."

Every year, the university joins the nation in observing Constitution Day each Sept. 17. On that date in 1787, "the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created," according to the National Archives website.

"The Constitution has always been a work in progress," said Young, political science professor and the moderator for the livestream event.

"Constitution Day is a celebration of citizen engagement as much as it is a celebration of the founders' original convention.

"Women of all backgrounds and ethnicities have made our republic better by their tireless efforts to secure their rights, and we honor them during this week."

Media Attachments

The University of South Carolina Aiken's annual Constitution Day events will focus on the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, and the public is invited to participate virtually in all aspects of the celebration on Sept. 17. All events will be accessed through https://www.usca.edu/constitution-day.