On this day 100 years ago, the 19th Amendment was officially certified, securing women’s right to vote in the U.S. Constitution. To honor this historic moment, the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC) is leading the Forward Into Light celebration to illuminate the country in purple and gold, the historic colors of the American suffrage movement. The WSCC invites institutions, organizations, and individuals nationwide to join them in marking this historic moment by signing up to participate and exploring photos from across the nation on social media with #ForwardIntoLight.
Institutions nationwide have committed to illuminating their structures to honor the suffragists who lobbied, marched, picketed, and protested for the right to the ballot, never giving up on the fight for equality. This week, the Empire State Building, the original torch at the Statue of Liberty, The Gateway Arch, and ten Smithsonian museums in the nation’s capital signed on to participate, joining institutions such as The White House, One World Trade Center, Niagara Falls, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Library of Congress Jefferson Building, National Archives Building, presidential libraries, and many National Park Service sites across the U.S.
Additionally, the WSCC has partnered with Snapchat to virtually commemorate the Forward Into Light campaign. Starting today, Snapchatters can use augmented reality lenses to apply a purple and gold gradient to their surroundings and add their photos to a digital mosaic of suffragists inspired by the WSCC’s Our Story: Portraits of Change mosaic, created by artist Helen Marshall and produced by Christina Korp.
Before tonight’s illumination, Washington, D.C., will kick off the celebration at Nationals Park. The U.S. Air Force is partnering with the WSCC to honor the centennial with a women-led helicopter flyover at approximately 5:56pm (ET) over the Park at the start of tonight’s game between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies. The WSCC is also working with the Nationals to celebrate this historic anniversary, and the theme of tonight’s game is “Women’s Suffrage Centennial: 100 Years of the 19th Amendment.”
Learn more about Forward Into Light, named in honor of the historic suffrage slogan “Forward through the Darkness, Forward into Light,” and sign up to participate at womensvote100.org/forwardintolight. Share photos of your illuminated buildings on social media platforms using the hashtag #ForwardIntoLight, and submit photos here to be included in the WSCC’s official Forward Into Light online album.
