January 08, 2020

Right or Privilege? Alabama Women and the Vote

New exhibit commemorating the passage of the 19th amendment opens January 17


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Vulcan Park & Museum joins communities across the nation to commemorate the 2020 centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment with its latest exhibit.

Set to open on January 17 inside the Linn-Henley Gallery, Right or Privilege? Alabama Women and the Vote, will embark on a journey to tell the story of specific challenges faced by suffragists in Birmingham and analyze the racial issues that caused the suffrage movement to be a primarily white campaign. The topics covered will inspire visitors to tie the challenges of the movement to current events and highlight the various state and local organizations who are working to maintain and establish voting rights for all.

Jennifer Watts, Director of Museum Programs, hopes this exhibit will shine a light on the suffrage movement as a reminder of those who fought tirelessly to expand voting rights in Alabama and instill in visitors a sense of the value of their vote.

“This exhibit will commemorate this milestone of democracy in our country and explore the relevance of it today,” Watts said. “It’s an opportunity for us to have a local conversation about the contributions of women not only in the past but here in the present.”

Women officially gained the right to vote with the addition of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920. This marked the end of a three-generation struggle to win the right to vote, for women and the beginning of the fight for women of color to ensure their exercise of voting rights.

As communities across the nation are gearing up to commemorate the 2020 centennial in a variety of ways, Vulcan Park & Museum has partnered with local agencies and organizations to provide programming throughout the year including lectures, a play and film discussion. For a full listing of the events throughout the year, go to visitvulcan.com.

Entrance to the exhibition is included with general admission to Vulcan Park & Museum. Admission to the exhibit is $6 for 13 and up, $4 for kids ages 5-12 and children under 4 are free. Vulcan Center Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. – 6.pm.

Right or Privilege? Alabama Women and the Vote has been made possible with support from the Junior League of Birmingham, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Protective Birmingham Bar Foundation, The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, Alabama Power, Shipt and Alabama State Bar. Program partners include Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama, Birmingham Bar Association, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Samford University Cumberland School of Law, Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema and National Coalition of 100 Black Women – Birmingham Metropolitan Chapter.

About Vulcan® Park and Museum

Vulcan Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization which operates Vulcan Park and Museum on behalf of the City of Birmingham. Vulcan Park and Museum’s mission is to preserve and promote Vulcan as the symbol for the Birmingham region, advance knowledge and understanding of Birmingham’s history and culture, and to encourage exploration of the region.