[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 149 (Saturday, August 22, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT

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                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, August 22, 2020

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, this past weekend we 
celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. I include in 
the Record an article from the The Aiken Standard that highlights women 
leaders in our community and the role that Eulalie Salley had in the 
suffragist movement:

 Aiken's Women Leaders Reflect on 19th Amendment's 100th Anniversary, 
                         Eulalie Salley's Role

                    (By Dede Biles August 15, 2020)

       Women leaders in the Aiken area reflected recently on this 
     month's 100th anniversary of the ratification of the U.S. 
     Constitution's 19th Amendment, which guarantees that an 
     American's right to vote will not be denied on the basis of 
     sex.
       They also discussed the legacy of Eulalie Salley, an Aiken 
     resident who was a prominent suffragist.
       Read what they had to say:
       Lessie Price, Aiken City Council member and Aiken Mayor Pro 
     Tempore: ``Those women (who fought for the right to vote) 
     were very bold and brave. Can you imagine doing that during 
     that period of time, what was said about them by their peers 
     and the names they were probably called?
       ``Also there were pressures faced by their husbands because 
     their wives were doing something that was not the norm.
       ``On both sides, there were enduring pressures, but the 
     women were so strong. Where would we be (as women) if those 
     women were not brave enough or strong enough to take a stand 
     and be a voice for us to have the freedom to vote? I am 
     standing on the shoulders of those women and their history 
     and them being trailblazers in the fight for equality.
       ``They fought for equality for all of us. And that's the 
     bottom line.''
       ``Eulalie Salley was quite outspoken, and we are fortunate 
     to have had her as part of the Aiken community.
       ``She led an innovative campaign regarding suffrage.''
       Kay Biermann Brohl, Aiken City Council member: ``I think 
     it's important that we celebrate this. It took so long for 
     women to win that right to vote.
       ``And today we see so many women in leadership positions. 
     It brings a whole different perspective to the decisions that 
     are made and how they are made.
       ``I think Eulalie Salley was a trailblazer. She did so many 
     things that a lot of people are just finding out about, and 
     she contributed greatly to the culture, the history and the 
     fairness of how things are done here in Aiken.''
       Gail Diggs, Aiken City Council member:
       ``In 1920, women won the right to vote, and here we are in 
     2020 with the possibility of having a Black female vice 
     president. It's truly something to celebrate. I'm proud to 
     know that Eulalie Salley was one of the women who led the 
     way. We've come a long way, baby!
       ``Eulalie Salley was strong, outspoken and determined to 
     make a change. For her, silence was not an option. She saw 
     something seriously wrong and not only said something, but 
     actually DID something!
       ``She helped pave the way for women to have a voice. 
     Eulalie Salley was a true woman of substance!''
       Dr. Sandra Jordan, Chancellor of USC Aiken: ``The 19th 
     Amendment was critical to the rights women enjoy today, for 
     it finally guaranteed all women the right to vote during our 
     national, state and local elections.
       ``History teaches us that once disenfranchised groups can 
     vote, other forms of equality, such as social, economic and 
     educational opportunities will follow.
       ``While we may take this right for granted today, we should 
     never lose sight of the fact that women gained civil rights 
     quite late in the history of our nation. It would be a 
     travesty for modern-day men and women to dismiss the long, 
     hard struggle that culminated in the passage of the 19th 
     Amendment.
       ``While women have experienced many successes since the 
     passage of the amendment, women have not yet achieved full 
     equality. I hope I will see in my lifetime our daughters and 
     granddaughters achieve the dream of equal pay for equal work, 
     freedom from harassment and freedom from discrimination based 
     on gender.
       ``The dream of equality is worth the effort of keeping 
     these issues on the forefront of our thinking, our actions 
     and our national discussions.
       ``The university has many special ties to Eulalie Salley, a 
     former Frist Lady of Aiken and a local suffragette, who used 
     her personal earnings to underwrite her efforts to champion 
     the cause.
       ``In fact, the Salley home now sits on the USC Aiken 
     campus.
       ``Her tireless efforts to help secure this important civil 
     right for half of the U.S. population was recognized by the 
     governor (of South Carolina) who invited her to stand beside 
     him as he signed the bill into law.
       ``Her commitment to the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed 
     all women equal rights, on par with men, including gaining 
     the right to vote, is an inspiration for women today.''

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