Dear friend, 

August is a special month for women's political representation.

It was on August 18 in 1920 that Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; just a few days later, on August 26, the Amendment was certified and officially became U.S. law. And now each year the U.S. honors the 19th Amendment by celebrating Women's Equality Day on August 26.

There's no doubt we as American women have a lot to celebrate.

The adoption of the 19th Amendment doesn't mean, however, that the battle for women's representation has ended.

Although the 19th Amendment declared that women could not be denied the right to vote based on their sex, other obstacles were put in place that prevented women of all backgrounds from fully exercising this right for decades.

Even today, more than 100 years after having their right to vote recognized, women remain underrepresented in political leadership and at decision-making tables.

That's why WPLN's mission is to empower more women to lead.

Our country is stronger when all women's voices are represented!

Onward,

Larissa

WPLN Founder and President

In this month's WPLN Leadership Spotlight, we were joined by Betsy Ankney, former campaign manager for Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential campaign. Betsy is also the recipient of our 2024 Architect of Society Award!

"There's going to be a zillion things in your head and reasons why you shouldn't. There's going to be people who tell you you can't. There's going to be people who tell you you're not qualified or you're not good enough or it's not the right time. But if you want to do it and you've thought through all those things: Do it. Take the leap, have the confidence, and you can get it done. And everyone who's part of this [WPLN] community will help you do it."

This month, we launched the THIRD cohort of our WPLN Fellowship for Nonprofit Management for the 2024-2025 academic year!

We're thrilled to introduce our newest WPLN Fellows:

• Gianna Covarelli, Texas Woman's University
• Sarah Harper, University of Tennessee - Knoxville
• Grace Jackson, Purdue University

As part of the program, WPLN Fellows help build the capacity of our organization and assist our State Partners who identify, engage, and train women on the ground to seek public office.

August marks 104 years of of the 19th Amendment, and we're celebrating by bringing back some of our most beloved WPLN styles! If you missed these designs the first time, here's your chance.

Shop our limited-edition collections and show your support for women in leadership!

Whether it’s a treat for yourself or a gift for an inspiring woman in your life, your purchase makes a difference because it helps support our efforts to train, organize, and empower women to lead.

Sandy Holloway

Member of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Since students are returning to school, we wanted to highlight Sandy Holloway, who represents District 3 in the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). She is now in her third term and also served as BESE Board President in 2020 and 2021 and Board Secretary-Treasurer in 2022.

In 2022, Sandy was a speaker at our WPLN Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana!

... it's the anniversary of the 19th Amendment!

The 19th Amendment was the culmination of the efforts of generations of suffragists like Lucy Burns, Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who organized, protested, and even endured violence for their right to vote. Some of them fought for this right for their entire lives but didn't live to see women's suffrage become reality.

And the vote passed in the Tennessee state legislature by only one vote after 24-year-old Harry T. Burn changed his vote because his mother Febb Burn had written him urging him to support women's suffrage.

We women stand on the shoulders of the women who came before us, from the suffragists who organized conventions and marches, to Harry's mother Febb. We owe so much to them and are proud to continue their fight for women's rights.

We at WPLN also often talk about the need for male allies who recognize the importance of diverse perspectives at decision-making tables and the crucial role they play by actively working to elevate those underrepresented voices — and Febb's son Harry exemplifies that.

And since we know you're busy, here are our top picks for other "must reads" this month!

• For the woman who needs some mid-week motivation, learn about all of the ways American women made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
• For the woman who forgot her summer beach book this holiday weekend and is looking for some low-key, non-political drama to end the summer, Bustle and The Cut wrote about women whose friendships end after a wedding.
• For the woman who wants to Remember the Ladies, check out our monthly feature on key moments in women's representation and rights in the past during the month of August.

SEPTEMBER 16 | WPLN Tips from the Trail with Judge Yara Lorenzo Klukas: As part of our Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, we're speaking with Judge Yara Lorenzo Klukas. Join us on Facebook or LinkedIn!

SEPTEMBER 26 | WPLN Women Officeholders Roundtable with Microsoft: Ashley O'Rourke is joining us from Microsoft for a "Using AI 101" webinar — and this exclusive roundtable is open to everyone for one-time only! Registration is required, so register now!

OCTOBER 3 | Voter Data & Vote Goals with Virginia Conservative Women's Coalition: Join our Virginia training partner Virginia Conservative Women's Coalition to learn about polling and data on the campaign trail! Learn how to analyze voter data, set strategic vote goals, and interpret polling results. Register now!

Support WPLN programs and resources by making a contribution today!

Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.