19th Amendment programming begins airing Saturday on Clarksville Community Network
Clarksville, TN – A series of local videos about women’s suffrage has been produced to help Clarksville celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which extended the right to vote to women throughout America.
The videos, featuring several Austin Peay State University (APSU) professors and government leaders, will begin airing Saturday on CDE Lightband’s Clarksville Community Network, Channel 6 and HD Channel 908.
Clarksville also will be celebrating suffrage on Saturday, August 15th, with a march from the Montgomery County Courthouse to Public Square at 5:00pm, followed by dedication of the “Tennessee Triumph” statue and monument at 6:00pm.
In addition, Clarksville Mayors Joe Pitts and Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett have jointly proclaimed August 18th as “Tennessee Women’s Suffrage Centennial Day” in Clarksville and Montgomery County and urged churches and community members to join in by ringing their bells at noon to celebrate the anniversary.
Ellen Kanervo, executive director of the Clarksville Arts and Heritage Development Council and co-chair of the Tennessee Triumph Steering Committee, organized the video series.
“We know that because of COVID-19 some interested residents won’t be able to attend the march and monument dedication on Saturday,” Kanervo said. “So we wanted to provide some special programming to allow everyone to join in and learn about the suffrage saga.”
Here are brief descriptions of the videos in the series:
History of Woman Suffrage in the United States: In a wide-ranging interview, Dr. Minoa Uffelman, Austin Peay State University professor of history, and Dr. Marjorie Spruill, nationally-known suffrage scholar, discuss the history of woman suffrage in the United States, focusing on Tennessee’s role in the passage of the 19th Amendment.
State Representative Harry Burn’s Role in Ratification: Dr. Dewey Browder, APSU professor emeritus, interviews Tennessee State Rep. Harry Burn’s great grandnephew, Tyler Boyd, who recently published a book on Burn’s role in the passage of the 19th Amendment. Burn’s vote in the Tennessee Legislature to ratify the Amendment assured it would be added to the U.S. Constitution, granting all women in the United States the right to vote.
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts: Heather Fleming, a member of the Tennessee Triumph Steering Committee, interviews Mayor Pitts and his wife Cynthia about the impact of Tennessee’s ratification of the 19th Amendment on American democracy and state and local governments.
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett: The mayor discusses what the suffrage monument, Tennessee Triumph, adds to downtown Clarksville, and how it celebrates the strong women of Montgomery County.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn: Blackburn, the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee, gives a brief history of suffragists in Montgomery County.
U.S. Representative Mark Green: Green gives a shout-out to his hometown of Clarksville for celebrating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment with the dedication of a suffrage monument on Public Square.
State Senator Bill Powers and Fran Powers: Powers, descendant of one of Clarksville’s original suffragists, and his wife Fran discuss the importance of civic participation in our community.
State Representative Jason Hodges: Representative Jason Hodges discusses the importance of the 19th Amendment to democracy in America and urges all Tennessee citizens to take advantage of the privilege of voting.
