Committee Members, Legislators and Friends,

Wednesday, August 26, 2020, marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. West Virginia was the 34th state to ratify the Amendment.

I am honored to have had the privilege over the last 14 months to work with a statewide coordinating committee for the Centennial Celebration of the 19th Amendment. While the work of the committee may be hampered by the pandemic, excitement and interest in the celebration of women's suffrage have never been greater.

At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, I will host a small ceremony to celebrate the centennial with the Governor's Offce and the WV Women's Commission. The event will include a presentation about the suffrage effort in West Virginia and a proclamation commemorating the anniversary. The ceremony will be aired live on the Secretary of State's Facebook page.

The National Archives and the National Archives Foundation have planned an entire week of messages and videos to celebrate the centennial. They will offer virtual programming throughout the week, exploring many aspects of the women's movement and the suffragists who made the 19th Amendment a reality.

The National Archives has provided a social media toolkit here. I encourage you or your organization to take advantage of this toolkit to help us promote the centennial celebration here in West Virginia. Post your own messages or use the templates this week to draw attention to the commemoration. The public can learn more and register here: archivesfoundation.org/women.

The National Archives also released five videos as part of the Rightfully Hers series on their YouTube channel. These videos are short (2-3 minutes each), and three of them feature U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito. You may post these videos to your social media platforms or email them to family, friends and colleagues.

I would also invite you to send a "Letter to the Editor" of your local newspaper regarding your thoughts on the 19th Amendment. Letters to the Editor are usually limited to 500 words or less.

The WV Secretary of State's Office has a landing page on our website where you can learn more about women's suffrage in the state. You can access the page here: Planning Committee for Statewide Celebration of Women’s Suffrage. You can also follow us on our Facebook page at West Virginia Centennial Celebration of the 19th Amendment.

In so many ways, our country and the state of West Virginia have been the beneficiary of the 19th Amendment. Join us next week to celebrate this centennial milestone.

Sincerely,

Mac Warner WV Secretary of State