Clark County commissioners, U.S. Congresswoman Dina Titus, and women’s rights groups including the League of Women Voters of Nevada turned the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign purple and gold to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, which secured American women’s constitutional right to vote.
Wednesday, Aug. 26 is the 100th anniversary of the day the 19th Amendment was proclaimed ratified and made part of the U.S. Constitution.
“It is important to honor those civil rights heroes who never gave up in the fight to give all American women the right to vote,” Commissioner Michael Naft said. “This anniversary is a strong reminder of how far we have come and how we must continue to promote equality throughout our community.”
“We have come a long way during the past 100 years,” Commission Chairman Marilyn Kirkpatrick said. “It is important to remember this victory for equal rights and honor those who fought for it by exercising our right to vote.”
“We all stand on the shoulders of the suffragettes whose success showed the power of the peaceful protest and secured a basic constitutional right for all women,” Commission Vice Chairman Lawrence Weekly said.
“We come together to celebrate the suffragettes who made serious sacrifices a century ago to improve and expand our democracy,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said. “Communities across this country are stronger when women join together in large numbers to organize, vote, and run for office. It is an honor to light this sign purple and gold in commemoration of the women who came before us and in dedication to the little girls who will see it and know that their opportunities are endless. At the same time, we remain mindful that many communities of color had to wait decades after the passage of the 19th Amendment to cast their ballots. On this momentous anniversary, let us recommit to fighting voter suppression in all its ugly forms and pushing our nation to live up to its democratic ideals.”
The light change is part of the Forward into Light campaign organized nationally by the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission to turn landmarks across the country purple and gold in honor of the historic suffrage slogan, “Forward through the Darkness, Forward into Light.”
Other groups involved included the National Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, Nevada Women’s Suffrage Celebration Committee, Nevada NOW (National Organization for Women), Nevada Commission for Women, Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada, Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada, Emerge NV, UNLV’s Women’s Research Institute of Nevada and the Nevada Women’s Lobby.
The light bulbs, which are usually yellow, surround the border of the sign. Like the famed Las Vegas Strip, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is in unincorporated Clark County.
###
Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 11th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to more than 2.3 million citizens and 45.3 million visitors a year. Included are the nation’s 9th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The County also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to about 1 million residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.