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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WOMEN AS LEADERS AND NATIONAL WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY
WHEREAS, the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote, was ratified on August 18, 1920; and
WHEREAS, the fight for electoral equality continued after the 19th amendment was ratified, as women of color faced extraordinary barriers to suffrage. African American, Latina, Native American and Asian American women fought for enfranchisement throughout the 20th century; and
WHEREAS, African American women played an active and pivotal role in the struggle for universal suffrage despite their exclusion from many national suffrage activities and groups. Black women like Maria Stewart, Sojourner Truth, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and many more fought for equal rights for all African Americans throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The 1965 Voting Rights Act prohibited racial discrimination in voting, culminating a centuries long effort for suffrage in the African American community; and
WHEREAS, Latina women, particularly in New Mexico, were key advocates during the women’s suffrage movement. Hispanic suffragists worked with the National Woman’s Party (NWP) and other suffragists to champion Spanish-speaking and bilingual women. Discrimination against language minority citizens was still a major barrier for Hispanic women exercising their right to vote. The 1975 extension of the Voting Rights Act prohibited such discrimination; and
WHEREAS, historically, Native Americans were not allowed United States citizenship, yet Native American activists like Zitkála-Šá organized and advocated for women’s suffrage in the 1920s. In 1924, the Snyder Act gave American-born Native women citizenship, but individual states continued to prevent Native American women from voting as late as 1962; and
WHEREAS, first generation Asian Americans were excluded from voting until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 passed, creating a path to citizenship. Asian American suffragists like Dr. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee worked alongside white suffragists in the years leading up to 1920; and
WHEREAS, the women’s suffrage movement was marked by white supremacy and ignored the intersectionality and compounding oppressions faced by women of color; and
WHEREAS, although women have made important gains towards equal opportunity over the last 105 years; sexism, misogyny, and racism have continued to impede progress towards equality; and
WHEREAS, women comprise almost half of the U.S. labor force and outnumber men earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees. However, women are significantly underrepresented in leadership roles in the public and private sectors; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Psychological Association, decades of research shows that women in leadership roles increase productivity, collaboration, innovation, and overall fairness. Women in leadership roles help mitigate deep-rooted stereotypes and uphold inclusive spaces; and
WHEREAS, today, women constitute just 24% of U.S. Senators, 29.2% of U.S. Representatives, 24% of state governors, and 32.8% of total state legislatures; and
WHEREAS, according to research from Harvard University, women make up over 50% of the population in US counties, yet just 27% of county legislators are women; and
WHEREAS, Cook County celebrates 105 years of women’s suffrage while also acknowledging and uplifting the work of women of color who fought for the same rights for decades after the 19th amendment was ratified; and
WHEREAS, National Women’s Equality Day is celebrated annually on August 26th, commemorating the 1920 ratification of the 19th amendment. It also serves to highlight ongoing efforts for gender equality, recognizing both the historic achievements of women and the continuing challenges they face worldwide; and
WHEREAS, on Sunday, May 4, 2025, the Cook County Board of Commissioners became a women-majority board for the first time in its history after Commissioner Jessica Vásquez was sworn in as Commissioner of the Eighth District; and
WHEREAS, Cook County recognizes the extraordinary perseverance of women leaders and honors the current nine women Commissioners on the Cook County Board: Commissioner of the 1st District, Tara Stamps, Commissioner of the 5th District, Dr. Kisha E. McCaskill, Commissioner of the 6th District, Donna Miller, Commissioner of the 7th District, Alma E. Anaya, Commissioner of the 8th District, Jessica Vásquez, Commissioner of the 9th District, Maggie Trevor, Commissioner of the 10th District, Bridget Gainer, Commissioner of the 12th District, Bridget Degnen, and Commissioner of the 13th District, Josina Morita, and Board President Toni Preckwinkle; and
WHEREAS, Cook County recognizes the twenty-three women who historically served on the Board: Anna Bemis, Anna Nowak, Mildred Fleming, Mary McEnerney, Marie Coyle, Amelia Sears, Elizabeth A. Conkey, Lucy Palermo, Lillian Piotrowski, Ruby Ryan, Josephine B. Sneed, Irene C. Hernandez, Mildred Casey Mary Mix McDonald, Rose-Marie Love, Bobbie L. Steele, Maria Pappas, Darlena Williams-Burnett, Earlean Collins, Deborah Sims, Patricia Joan Murphy, and Elizabeth “Liz” Gorman; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners recognizes and honors the achievements of locally elected women and the first women-majority Cook County Board.
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