by Bridget Hennessey
Today marks the 100th anniversary of women in the United States winning the right to vote.
Yes, “winning,” not “earning” or “getting” or “receiving.” Because as human beings, and at the very least, as adult American citizens, women always had the right to vote. We just weren’t allowed to use it.
So women like Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul and Elizabeth Cady Stanton had to do battle.
But they weren’t the only warriors in the fight. Black women led and fought, too.
Names like Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell are just two from a list of many women of color who are aloso responsible for the victory, despite opposition, hostility and harassment — not just from the opposition, but from white suffragettes as well.
Full participation of women choosing their representative leadership dates back to before the creation of the United States. We are just beginning to learn about the powerful role native women had in the selection of their leaders long before their nation became ours.
It took a while, no doubt. But it is particularly sweet that this week, a woman of color will accept the nomination of a major political party to be Vice President of the United States.
And so on this special anniversary, where no gifting is required and no celebratory guidance is provided . . . Let’s honor the matrons of the suffragette movement by registering and voting in record numbers.
And there is special relevance of the suffrage movement to the cannabis legalization movement: Inclusion is a critical component to success. History proves it.
Since the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. The Constitution, which ratified a women’s right to vote, social scientists have studied American suffrage as a social movement and identified several distinct elements that made it successful. Among the most impactful: a laser-like focus on mission, while welcoming new ideas, strategies, and advocates through partnerships and alliances.
To be sure, some of the fiercest battles of the suffrage movement occurred within the suffrage movement. And the views held by some of their leaders would be considered appalling and unacceptable today. But within their movement, infighting appeared to be mostly respectful and constructive. In most cases, internal factions disagreed but weren’t disagreeable. They never faltered in their shared belief in the ultimate goal. Their mission-driven philosophy and posture mitigated internal strife or conflict.
And it appears they never met an idea they didn’t like.
Remember Tess, the character Melanie Griffin played in the 1988 movie, Working Girl? In one critical scene, she gets an amazing, hugely profitable business idea from reading a newspaper’s gossip column.
The suffragettes were just like Tess. They were “networkers” a century before the term was coined. They infused their movement with ideas generated from leaders and thinkers they met across the street and around the world. They read everything and . debated and considered everything. For them, when it came to useful information or ideas, sharing wasn’t just the happy way (as I tell my kids) — it was the only way.
Some immediate takeaways: For the cannabis community, pioneering states that have legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis are laboratories for states that have not. Looking at their experiences objectively and holistically helps us identify best practices to replicate and red flags to avoid. Every state, every situation, victory or failure is different. And what works one place may not, for a variety of reasons, work someplace else. But history can help us make better decisions. And we should never discount the value that the “been there, done that” community can provide.
And to get to victory, we need the widest circle of warriors. The women’s movement, the LGBTQ+ community, disability rights advocates, civil rights groups, labor unions, small businesses, the faith community all have a role to play. In so many ways, our goals overlap. Let’s welcome more into the fold, provide a seat at the table and encourage their voice in how we move forward and shape the future.
The suffrage movement taught us: Keep your eye on the prize. Be greedy in search of ideas and allies. Be generous in providing opportunity.
One hundred years later and that good advice is still fresh.
