As we near the centennial of the passage of the 19th amendment, we recognize that history is complicated, victories are partial, and sometimes we have to celebrate and regret in the same breath. The suffrage movement teaches us about the power of organizing; that diverse tactics - from civil disobedience to patient lobbying to changing the popular culture - all have power, and it also teaches us that such movements can be flawed and ask more marginalized members to wait their turn to be free.

To this day, many of these groups still face often insurmountable hurdles to exercising their right to vote and continue to fight against structural, institutional barriers to voter enfranchisement. While we acknowledge the fact that that voter disenfranchisement has affected countless communities, this panel discussion is going to focus specifically on the experiences of three of these groups: women, African Americans, and Native Americans.

This event is part of the League of Women Voters of Maine and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections' "Democracy Partnership Advocacy Day," and members of the public are also invited to join for the full day of events, including meeting with members of the legislature and advocating for policies that strengthen Maine democracy.

To attend the afternoon panel, which is free and open to the public, RSVP's are required.