The Women’s Suffrage Movement in the United States: Why did it take 72+ years?

Fredie Kay, Founder and President of Suffrage100MA, will discuss the origins and 72+ year history of the Women’s Suffrage movement in the United States, telling the stories of the suffragists-- both white and of color-- who waged the battle to achieve women’s suffrage. Ms. Kay will discuss the long and dramatic struggle for the 19th Amendment, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other laws that were needed to remove barriers to voting for African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Latinx Americans. As we know, limitations on access to the ballot continue today.

Fredie Kay is Founder and President of Suffrage100MA, a non-profit, non-partisan coalition with over 200 Partners, which commemorates the history and relevance today of women obtaining the vote with the 19th Amendment in 1920, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and much more.

Ms. Kay is an attorney and advocate for women’s rights and voting rights. She serves as the Massachusetts representative on the Votes for Women National Trail Committee of the National Collaborative of Women’s History Sites (NCWHS) and in leadership positions with a number of other organizations, including the Advisory Network of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts; the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston Community Council, and several others.

Ms. Kay began her legal career at Goodwin Procter LLP, after which she served as Deputy Legal Counsel to Governor Michael Dukakis and Governor William Weld, and was then appointed Director of the Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution, where she served for seven years.

Fredie is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, the Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Maryland. Fredie lives in Needham and has two children: Daughter Samantha is a pediatric resident at Northwestern University’s Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois and son Taylor is a professional golfer in Florida.