Connecticut Women to March in 2020 Tournament of Roses Parade!
Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame Founding President Geena Clonan MARCHES WITH WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE FLOAT
Women’s Suffrage Float to recognize 100th Anniversary of 19th Amendment passage, securing Women’s Right to Vote
January 1, 2020 - Pasadena, CA
CT Women’s Hall of Fame Founder, Geena Clonan, will participate in the 131st Rose Parade’s Women’s Suffrage Float. The float theme, “Years of Hope. Years of Courage” leads the way to commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Passage of the 19th Amendment, securing women’s right to vote. Along with Clonan, Coline Jenkins, great, great-granddaughter of suffrage leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton, will represent CT.
“This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - to recognize the incredible strength and commitment of extraordinary women who fought for their right to vote 100 years ago - means so much to me,” said Clonan. “I hope my participation will be an inspiration to my children and future grandchildren and that they will have the courage of these suffrage heroines in advocating for equity and equality throughout their lifetimes.”
The float portrays the long history to win the right to vote and its cardinal figures. Jenkins, a direct descendent, will ride on the float and Clonan will represent CT as one of the 100 “suffragists” (two from each of 50 States) marching alongside the float, all dressed in traditional white costume with historic sashes, memorializing the suffrage campaigns.
“I am inspired by my great, great-grandmother, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was an American suffragist, social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early women’s rights movement.” said Jenkins. “Her Declaration of Sentiments, presented at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, is often credited with initiating the first organized women’s rights and women’s suffrage movements in the United States.” said Jenkins. “I am pleased to be representing her, knowing she died, 18 years BEFORE women gained the U. S. Constitutional right to vote. This kick-off event will be followed by nationwide celebrations, including the statue unveiling of Women's Rights Pioneers in Central Park on August 26. Join the festivities - and VOTE.
The suffrage float, 55’ long and 18’ wide, features a 30-foot tall Statue of Liberty dressed in a suffrage sash, holding the tablet of the 19th amendment. Riders on the float will include suffrage descendants – those in direct line to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells, and Frederick Douglass.
Floats and parades were a major hallmark of how women brought attention to the cause of suffrage. They were dramatic and stunning, featuring floral displays, art, and the constant demand for the Right to Vote.
The Tournament of Roses Parade will be seen by over 93 million people world-wide.
Learn more about the float here!