Celebrating Women’s Suffrage: Then & Now Havre de GraceCelebrating Women’s Suffrage: Then & Now Celebrating Women’s Suffrage: Then & Now March 21-27, 2021 Havre de Grace is celebrating Women’s Suffrage with an entire week of events. The week will culminate with the dedication of the City’s newest historical marker, one that recognizes the significance of Havre de Grace in the Suffrage Movement. Events List Sunday, March 21 at 2 pm (streaming virtually) Living History Portrayal-Verda Freeman Welcome: Ride the Welcome Wagon featuring Janice Curtis Greene Monday, March 22 at 7 pm (streaming virtually) Women Lighthouse Keepers Lecture The Concord Point Lighthouse is thrilled to sponsor this program presented by historian Mary Rasa. Learn about the U.S. Lighthouse Service and look at five remarkable women keepers. Attendance will be by reservation only. For more information, contact director@concordpointlighthouse.org or call 410-939-3213. Tuesday, March 23 at 7 pm (live audience) Women in Politics: Then and Now: Lecture and Panel Discussion Join us for an informative and fascinating lecture by Dr. Amy Rosenkrans, who will educate us on the history of the Suffragist movement in Harford County. Following the lecture, Dr. Rosenkrans will moderate a panel discussion with local female elected officials from the past and present, who will relay their personal experiences in politics. Wednesday, March 24 at 7 pm (live audience) Film Screening: Iron Jawed Angels Introduced by Havre de Grace Police Chief Teresa Walter Thursday, March 25 at 7 pm (virtual and live audience) Living History Portrayal: Harriet Tubman featuring Dr. Daisy Century Introduced by Pat Cole, Havre de Grace Colored School Foundation Saturday, March 27 12:00 P.M. Women’s Suffrage Parade The public is invited to meet at the Cultural Center at the Opera House at 11:45 am to march to the celebration. The parade steps off at 12noon. Participants are encouraged to come dressed as suffragists. Admission to all events is FREE but registration is required. Unless otherwise indicated, visit https://hdgoperahouse.org/ for more information and to register. 1:00 P.M. Marker Dedication City of Havre de Grace to Dedicate Suffrage Marker on the National Votes for Women Trail A significant movement in Harford County Women’s Suffrage history will be recognized on March 27, 2021, at 1:00 P.M. Havre de Grace will dedicate and unveil the state of Maryland’s latest marker on the National Votes For Women Trail. The marker has been awarded to Havre de Grace through the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, a private grant-making foundation based in Syracuse, NY, through its National Women’s Suffrage Marker Grant Program. These markers recognize historically significant people, places, or things across the United States, instrumental to women gaining the right to vote. The marker reads, “Votes for Women: Elizabeth Forbes, Harford County Suffragist, organized a Prairie Schooner Women’s Suffrage Campaign Stop Here in Havre de Grace in 1915.” Elizabeth Hamilton Chew Forbes April 17, 1882 – June 28, 1971 As president of Harford County’s chapter of the Just Government League, Elizabeth Forbes helped welcome the “pilgrims” who marched through the County in the 1915 Prairie Schooner Campaign. She was later arrested during the Watchfire demonstrations in Washington DC. Forbes continued to work on behalf of women’s equality for the rest of her life. “The award of the suffrage marker, one of only 250 markers placed on the Trail throughout the country, represents a major honor for Havre de Grace. This is one of 15 markers that will be included throughout the state,” said Diana Bailey, executive director of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center. “Shining a spotlight on the unrelenting dedication of Maryland suffragists is an important and relevant piece of our state’s history, especially during the centennial of the 19th amendment.” About the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center The Maryland Women’s Heritage Center (MWHC), a 501(c) (3) non-profit, non-partisan organization, was established to preserve the past, understand the present, and shape the future by recognizing, respecting, and transmitting the experiences and contributions of Maryland women of diverse backgrounds and from all regions of the state. The Center is an outgrowth of the Maryland Women’s History Project that began in 1980 as a collaborative venture between the Maryland Commission for Women and the Maryland State Department of Education. Please visit: www.mdwomensheritagecenter.org About NCWHS The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites is a non-profit organization established to support and promote the preservation and interpretation of sites and locales that bear witness to women’s participation in American history. NCWHS is dedicated to making women’s contributions to history visible so all women’s experiences and potential are fully valued. Visit: www.ncwhs.org About the Pomeroy Foundation The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is a private foundation established in 2005. The Foundation is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and to raising awareness, supporting research, and improving the quality of care for patients and their families who are facing a blood cancer diagnosis. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly 800 grants for historic signage in New York State and beyond. Visit: www.wgpfoundation.org
