The year 2020 will mark the centennial (100-year anniversary) of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States. The text of this amendment prohibits denial or restriction of voting rights to U.S. citizens “on account of sex.” The 19th was ratified by the states on Aug. 18, 1920. In celebration of this milestone, the Great Bend Public Library is working with the League of Women Voters in Great Bend to present several programs throughout 2020, as well as two programs this fall.

At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, the library will be hosting author and speaker Diane Eickhoff. Eickhoff is an independent historian, writer, and educational editor. Her presentation is entitled “The Long Road to Women’s Suffrage in Kansas,” and will be followed by a discussion and question & answer session. This event is free to the public and has been made possible by a generous grant from Humanities Kansas, which is sponsoring Eickhoff and helping provide the resources for this presentation. Eickhoff will be co-presenting the event with her husband Aaron Barnhart, who is also a member of the Speakers Bureau for Humanities Kansas.

During the presentation, you will have the opportunity to learn about the history of the women’s suffrage (voting rights) movement in the state of Kansas, which spanned nearly 50 years and finally prevailed after several major setbacks. Hear about the individuals responsible for promoting voting rights in the state and learn their stories, then stay after the 45-minute talk to discuss the subject further or ask questions. The library will also provide light refreshments for you to enjoy during the talk.

Later this year, the library will be hosting a traveling exhibit entitled “Learning from the Past, Imagining the Future.” This exhibit will be displayed in December in the library, and it focuses on civic engagement, the history of the suffrage movement, and the challenges that led to the approval of the nineteenth amendment. Keep an eye out for more information on this display later in the year.

For event info or other library information, please visit our Facebook page or website (greatbendpl.info), stop by the library (1409 Williams St), or give us a call (620-792-2409). We hope to see you soon.

Michael Adamyk is the Marketing and Technical Services Manager at the Great Bend Public Library. He can be reached by email at gbcirc@gmail.com.