California Capitol lit purple, gold to celebrate women’s suffrage
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Updated: 10:13 PM PDT Aug 26, 2020
NIGHT. TEO: LATER TONIGHT, THE GOLDEN 1 CENTER WILL BE LIT UP IN PURPLE AND GOLD, NOT FOR THE KINGS BUT TO CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT, GIVING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE. MORE THAN 100 OTHER SITES WILL HONOR THE DAY, INCLUDING THE STATE CAPITAL, WHITE HOUSE, AND THE WELCOME TO FABULOUS LAS VEGAS SIGN. TONI: AND A MEMBER OF THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION JOINS US LIVE TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT’S CELEBRATION. TELL US ABOUT THE CELEBRATION AND HOW EOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE. >> YEAH THOMAS AUGUST 26, 2020, IS THE 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE CERTIFICATION OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT INTO THE CONSTITUTION AND WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE. THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING DAY, ABSOLUTELY A MOMENT FOR CELEBRATION. MY AGENCY, THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION, IS LEADING THE FORWARD INTO LIGHT CAMPAIGN TONIGHT, LIGHTING UP THE LEGS AND MY MARKS IN PURPLE AND GOLD ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, THEY CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE, TO SEE THE OVER 300 SITES THAT WILL BE LIT UP IN PURPLE AND GOLD. YOU MENTIONED THE GOLDEN 1 CENTER, OF COURSE, THE CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL IS ALSO PARTICIPATING TONIGHT, THE WHITE HOUSE, NIAGARA FALLS, EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, THAT LIST GOES ON. I HOPE THAT PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY JOIN US IN CELEBRATION TONIGHT. TEO: LET’S GO BACK 100 YEARS. THIS WAS SUCH A PASSIONATE TOPIC FOR SO MANY WOMEN. SOME WOMEN WENT TO JAIL FOR THIS, FOR PROTESTING. TALK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE. >> ABSOLUTELY. WHEN WE TEACH THIS AVERAGE MOVEMENT, IF PEOPLE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO LEARN ABOUT IT AT ALL, YOU OFTEN JUST LEARN THAT THE AMENDMENT GOT PASSED IN 1920 WHEN, IN FACT, GENERATIONS OF WOMEN, OVER 72 YEARS, FOUGHT FOR THIS RIGHT, THIS HARD-WON RIGHT TO VOTE, AND STOOD UP AND DEMANDED EQUALITY. LIKE YOU SAID, OVER 100 WOMEN WERE ARRESTED AND IMPRISONED FOR SILENTLY PICKETING AND PROTESTING IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THIS RIGHT. THIS BATTLE WENT ON AND ON, AND IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO MENTION THIS MOMENT IN 1920 IS JUST ONE CHAPTER OF THIS LONGER STORY. THE MOVEMENT TOOK PLACE FOR GENERATIONS BEFORE 1920 AND, FOR WOMEN OF COLOR, THE FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE CONTINUED AFTER 1920. SO TODAY IS A MOMENT OF CELEBRATION, A MOMENT TO REFLECT BACK INTO LOOK AT WHAT IT TAKES TO ACHIEVE EQUALITY. TONI: IF YOU ARE IN SACRAMENTO AND YOU SEE THE GOLDEN 1 CENTER LIT UP IN PURPLE, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KINGS OR WITH BASKETBALL. EXPLAIN THE MEANING BEHIND THE PURPLE AND GOLD. >> PURPLE AND GOLD ARE THE HISTORIC COLORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMERICAN WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, THE COLORS OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S PARTY, ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEY HAD THESE GORGEOUS HUGE BANNERS AND PURPLE AND GOLD BECAUSE THEY WERE SMART AND KNEW THOSE COLORS WOULD STAND OUT AND KNEW THEY WOULD GRAB PEOPLE’S ATTENTION. SO WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT THOSE HISTORIC PHOTOS, WE SEE THEM IN BLACK-AND-WHITE, BUT THOSE WOMEN ARE VIBRANT, BOLD, AND THEY BRANDED THAT MOVEMENT IN PURPLE AND GOLD, AND THAT IS WHY TONIGHT WE’RE GOING TO BE CELEBRATING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE PURPLE AND GOLD. TEO: INTERESTING. THANK YOU FOR MEETING WITH US THIS MORNING AND EXPANDING OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT
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California Capitol lit purple, gold to celebrate women’s suffrage
The California Capitol in Sacramento was lit purple and gold Wednesday night to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.The 19th Amendment, which gave white women the right to vote in the U.S., was ratified on Aug. 26, 1920. While the language of the amendment says U.S. citizens cannot be denied the right to vote based on their sex, many state and local laws prevented women of color from voting. It wasn’t until several decades later with the Voting Rights Act and follow-up extensions that all women in the U.S. were allowed to vote. To celebrate the ratification of the amendment, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC), the California Legislative Women's Caucus and the California Big Cities Mayors Coalition lit the Capitol, city halls and other buildings purple and gold to honor women’s suffrage."The passing of the 19th amendment was not the end of the story but the beginning of a long road toward a more just, more fair, more equal America," Siebel Newsom said in a statement. ", California will be illuminated in purple and gold to celebrate the brave suffragists on whose shoulders we stand, and to acknowledge the work that must still be done to ensure equality for all women across the state and country."Across the country, the White House and the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign were also lit purple.Anna Laymon with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission talked with KCRA 3 on Wednesday morning about the celebration. See the full interview in the video above.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The California Capitol in Sacramento was lit purple and gold Wednesday night to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
The 19th Amendment, which gave white women the right to vote in the U.S., was ratified on Aug. 26, 1920.
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While the language of the amendment says U.S. citizens cannot be denied the right to vote based on their sex, many state and local laws prevented women of color from voting. It wasn’t until several decades later with the Voting Rights Act and follow-up extensions that all women in the U.S. were allowed to vote.
To celebrate the ratification of the amendment, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC), the California Legislative Women's Caucus and the California Big Cities Mayors Coalition lit the Capitol, city halls and other buildings purple and gold to honor women’s suffrage.
KCRA 3
"The passing of the 19th amendment was not the end of the story but the beginning of a long road toward a more just, more fair, more equal America," Siebel Newsom said in a statement. "[Wednesday night], California will be illuminated in purple and gold to celebrate the brave suffragists on whose shoulders we stand, and to acknowledge the work that must still be done to ensure equality for all women across the state and country."
Across the country, the White House and the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign were also lit purple.
Anna Laymon with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission talked with KCRA 3 on Wednesday morning about the celebration. See the full interview in the video above.
