Ten days ago, my wife and I attended a screening of “Iron Jawed Angels” in celebration of Women’s Equality Day. Filmed in Virginia in 2004, it tells the story of Alice Paul and her efforts to gain universal suffrage for American women in the early decades of the 20th century. Americans often see the suffragettes as privileged women in white dresses and great hats. The reality was more complex; many of these women endured considerable hardship and abuse. Women of color were involved in the fight, though the racial divisions of the day diminished their role in the historical record. The film chronicles Paul’s imprisonment and forced feeding during a hunger strike. Ultimately, Paul and her allies prevailed, and the nation added the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

At the showing of “Iron Jawed Angels,” about the effort to gain universal suffrage for American women. From left to right: Megan Tracy (board member of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters), Delegate David Toscano, State Senator Creigh Deeds, and Alisa Hefner (co-chair of the local ERA Task Force).

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