Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from The Centennial Circle of Women on the 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative commemorating the Suffrage Centennial. Direct City Manager to create a fund that would support 100 events citywide to increase civic engagement and to raise awareness about the history of Women's Right to Vote.
The motion carries. Thank you. Now we're going to move to item 38 with the clock. Please read the item. Communication from Councilmember Pearce, Councilwoman Gonzalez, Councilwoman Price, Councilmember Super Na recommendation receive and file a presentation from the Centennial Circle of Women on the 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative commemorating the Suffrage Centennial and direct city manager to create a fund that would support 100 events citywide, to increase civic engagement and to raise awareness about the history of women's right to vote. Thank you. I'd like to turn it over to Councilman. Okay. Thank you. So this, as the clerk read as a receiving file, a presentation on the 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative commemorating the suffrage centennial and directed city manager to create a fund that would support 100 events citywide, agrees to increase civic engagement and to raise awareness about the history of women's rights to vote. And we did this item to make sure that we kick off Women's History Month talking about women and the contributions that they have made not only to Long Beach, to California, but to the nation. And so I know that we're going to have a small presentation from our Human Relations Commission and our women's historian, Zoe Nichols. So I hope that we can hear that presentation and then just have a conversation about what some easy next steps might be for us and between now and August. So come on down, ladies. Thank you so. Much. Um, Mayor Garcia, members of the city council and city staff, of course. Thank you for allowing us some time to share with you. I'm assuming somebody will hand us a little clicker at some point if we need it. Um, we're here to discuss the upcoming suffrage centennial, which happens in August of 2020. Thank you very much, sir. Um, and what we can do in here in Long Beach to celebrate and educate around this heroic day? This is not just about what happened 100 years ago, but is a great way to continue conversations about voter turnout , suppression, the census and historical local women. First, Zoe Nicholson. We'll talk about suffrage and how it is being celebrated nationally and locally. I will be back to talk about the advocates in the circle of women. I also want to make sure you understand we are here tonight as citizens of Long Beach. We have also put on your dais a letter from the HRC, of which I am the chair, who is also in support of this. But I'll be wearing my citizen hat this evening. Here you go. I brought your gifts. I tried to. Every year, every women's history month, happy Women's History Month. You all have a copy of the latest edition of the Suffrage Gazette. In 1904, in her senior year at Swarthmore, my favorite human being, Alice Paul, was advised by her biology teacher that it would be better for her first senior year to work actually in to go to New York and work in a settlement house with poor immigrants. This middle class Quaker girl, upon seeing what poverty looked like, changed everything for her, and she realized there would be no equity until women works were explicitly included in the United States Constitution. And she saw on the way to do that, they would have to earn the vote. So she joined the suffrage movement in 1912. It had been languishing for 64 years. And with one with her 10,000 militants, they practiced high risk arrestable militancy and the vote was earned eight years later. August 26th, 1920. America is on the brink of celebrating the 100th birthday of this. It's called the Susan B Anthony Amendment. In fact, the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. Not unrelated. We're also hoping that by the time that Centennial arrives, we will pass the Lucretia mott Amendment, known as the Equal Rights Amendment. State and city legislatures, the United States government, the Commission on the Status of Women in all 50 states. That's one of the things that's in front of you here a UW, A.W., N.W., PC. Every university in this country, every women's organization, every library is going to be lining up. As you can see here. And I have to tell you, as I was Googling different states and who's participating, I literally had to stop because there were hundreds. So I just picked some that I thought you might find interesting. I got a big kick out of Montana and and the commission, obviously, here in California is is already active. And so that's just a smattering of the states that are participating next week. So I want you to look here. This is Long Beach and something you may not know. I'm really happy to tell you. In 1911, women met here in Long Beach in the largest suffrage group collected was right here at the Virginia hotel. There were over 35,000 women represented, 125 clubs, and they set to work to earn suffrage for California women. And they did, in fact, nine years earlier than the federal amendment. And one thing I really hope you will remember tonight, that when that passed, California was the biggest democracy on the face of the earth, where women could vote, which I think is a really it's something to be proud of. We hope everybody will know that by the time the centennial arrives next spring. So I wanted to pick out just a few of the completely raucous things that are happening. One up in the center, they have gutted the prison where the suffragists were held and are creating a museum. On the upper left, you will see that we are on the path to mark every grave of every suffragist here in the United States. In fact, Cora Morgan's grave right here in Long Beach, your own suffragist is marked. Her grave will be marked. Below that is a patch. And the Girl Scouts of America are creating a patch across the bottom. You see statues. There are statues going up all over the country that women in Tennessee where the vote took place over there are women that are going to be standing as sentinels as they did. They're actually building an entire park up there. Just to the right of the center is a park that's being built in Virginia to commemorate what's going on there. And of course, I'd be well, she's got a street in in Chicago. I'm hoping maybe Sally Miller Gearhart will get mentioned at Harvey Milk Park. He never spoke without her. I'm hoping that we're going to take the time to maybe put up a Dolores Huerta Street, a Dolores Huerta Park. And I do have to commend Councilmember Richardson with the Michelle Obama library. That's something really to be proud of. And the reason I had that book down there, films, plays, movies, TV shows, unbelievable things that are happening. And this is a really wonderful book on suffrage. And it's being made into a six part television series by Steven Spielberg and Hillary Clinton. They're working on it right now. Lesson plans, library readings, publishers, swag games, TV shows, concerts, all women companies of dancers, orchestras and retailers. I was just up there looking at Peet's Coffee for a Women's History Month. You can buy that now. We hope to see all of Long Beach rise up and understand the fantastic history we have here in Long Beach. Of women who earned the vote nine years before the federal vote. So finally, I know you might wonder what difference it makes. And here's the difference it makes. Congress now has 23% women. The 116th has 23% women. That's more than we've ever had. And as you can see, they and you may remember the State of the Union, many of the women on the Democrat side were white. And you're going to see us popping up all over the city, maybe at the Corgi parade. Maybe we will be walking, I believe, in the Rose Bowl and all over this city to commemorate the suffrage. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So I'm going to talk a little bit about what we want to do here. And there's a group of women that have come together in the last two months to build the circle of women. It is over 20 women that are strong advocates for the community who want to share their free time to make this centennial special for our city. And our goal is to not only celebrate and and and really think about what this means to us, but really educate. I think it was amazing that we had a youngster from World Tonight talking here at council. I started speaking in front of council and school board at about the exact same age, and it's really important to allow them to understand what vote their vote means. And so that's what we can do through this year of events. That's what we're hoping for is to start commemorating this this year in August of 2019, and do a year of events that this group is putting together. It will also allow us an opportunity to think about the things that the city has been really working on access and equity, the issues of gender rights, voter rights and the the census are just a few topics that we can talk about through the conversation that we would have through the centennial. This is the circle of women as it as the founding members. These about 20 people have come together evenings and had great food brought to those meetings to talk about what we can do as a team to bring the Centennial Suffrage and these ideas out into the public. We have also, as my hat as the chair of the Human Relations Commission, I have been in touch with the L.A. County Human Relations Commission, as well as their joint commission joint committee that they have that is talking about the suffrage centennial from the county standpoint . We just had another meeting with them today, another phone call, and we're going to work together with them to really be a part of the centennial celebration throughout the entire Southland. Right now we're seeing that Pasadena, Santa monica and Long Beach are the three kind of main cities doing work around this with West Hollywood and a couple other cities coming on board. But we're lucky enough to have this group of women coming together early to start the ideas of how we can build this. And we're hoping to look to you tonight to talk about the ways that you can support us through that those moments. These are just a few of the things that we want to think about during this year. Art, of course, as you know, is very important to me and to those people here in the city. And it's a great way to educate and leave a lasting mark about something that's happened in our city. It's also very important that we do this education and talk about voter turnout. These are ways that we can move the conversation from 100 years ago to today. One of those pieces is we're hoping to commemorate women's firsts. There's a lot of firsts that have happened in our city, and we want to honor each of those pieces at different events and different things. As you heard in the motion. This is to think about 100 events. Wouldn't it be great to see 100 ways that we commemorate the centennial throughout that year? And that doesn't mean it has to be 100 galas or 100 little pieces of ways that we can be a part of something. But those can be all different sizes and shapes and look in many different ways. I think the other piece of that is the women really brought a spectacle to what it was to bring the right to vote to the nation, and we want to do that here in the city. So we have a list of items that we would love to share, but we don't have time tonight to go through them all. What we are hoping is that this the city and. City Council will come together with the circle of women to build a lasting moment in the inner city about what is happening for women and do that through events, moments, art, all the kinds of things that we can do. And we are also hoping that it can be an integral part of how Long Beach has become a driving force in women's rights. So I was lucky enough to be in this picture just a few months ago. I am a commissioner in an amazing age of this town where 51% of us are women. As you saw those numbers that Zoe shared, 23% of the Senate are women. But we are really looking towards really bringing women together to build the city that we want. I also appreciate being in a city where strong women do great community work, and that's what we're hoping to do to lead this effort. But we can't do that without your help. So as I said before, I put on my commissioner hat for a second and say that we have gone to the Commission on Human Relations to ask them for their support in getting this this word out and being a part of this event. But we're coming to you tonight to ask you a couple of things, and I'll put back my citizen hat on for these that you would be an advocate for the Long Beach Suffrage 100. That's the goal of this. We already have a Facebook page, a website that's getting built. We have Instagram and those other things. We're hoping that you will ask each of your staff to work with the circle of women closely to help build these events or share events that might happen and be able to allow us to be a part of them, and also to possibly appropriate funds to make a lasting monument to the world that we're talking about and what we're doing today, but also and what happened 100 years ago. So I want to especially thank Councilmembers Pearce and Gonzalez and Price and Superdad for bringing this tonight to the to the council. I think it's an important month for this to happen as it's Women's History Month, and that's what we should be talking about. And I thank all of you for the support you give to the city in the time you take. You give. Thank you. Thank you so much. And we have a great last speaker. We're going to go back to the council. Councilmember Pearce, that. Was the presentation to say no thank you. Oh, so that public comment. We haven't had public comment yet. I'm sorry. Councilman Pearce. So we haven't had public comment, but I will just follow up and say I appreciate the thoughtful presentation and I would like, you know, not only that, we as council members partner with and I committed my staff to partner with the organization. But really for this to be a call for our city clerk or city prosecutor's office to find a creative way in between August 26th of this year and August 26 of next year to partner so that we can do some education. I know that there's a conversation around funds, and I think it makes sense for you guys since you've just started a form to come back and really just work with city staff, with our city manager's office to try to figure out what that looks like. And then for staff to come back to us with any requests that might need city council approval. So that's kind of where we're at today. And again, I really think thank you, guys, because there's long history that I don't know and I'm learning every single day. And as much as you can do that work in the next year with our help, I think we'll be better for it. So thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Gonzales. Yes, I'd like to say thank you as well to Amy from the Human Relations Commission, as well as the circle of women, and particularly Zoe Nicholson. She doesn't just do this in the month of March. She does this every single day. It is living and breathing in her inherently. And I really appreciate your passion to this. I read her books on the movement of voting and access to voting, particularly, obviously, for women. And it just inspires me personally and I look forward to researching a bit more with our city departments. I also I'm going to put our city clerk out there. I know we have great efforts going on in terms of marketing with voting specifically, and we need to absolutely ramp that up. Women need to vote. They need to understand that not just women, adult women, but K-through-12, you know, students, young students, like the young girl that we saw here, give them that opportunity to understand why they need to vote. Long Beach, City College, Cal State, Long Beach students as well. And I know we've been thinking about that, but I really look forward to advocating on behalf of District One for you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Councilwoman and Councilwoman Pryce. Q I too, want to thank you guys for the presentation. Both of you so eloquent and I was so pleased that we have two young girls in the audience today who got the chance to listen to you both speak, because both of you are just incredible speakers. And Zoe, when you speak, it really is almost like song. I mean, it's very the cadence of it. And when you speak, it's just it's you know, I haven't always liked every word that's come out of it, but I but I love the tone and I approach it from a place of deep respect. So I do want to say that I think it's important for us to have to thank and recognize the brave women who founded women's right to vote in America and fought to achieve that goal 100 years ago. For me, we cannot continue to make progress without looking to the past to see where we have come from and honor the incredible work to achieve the historic milestone in our American democracy. If we want to continue progress and encourage, encourage women's voices in our society and give women the strength to run for office and ensure girls know that they can be leaders in our community, we have to honor the work that has gotten us here, knowing that we can't take it for granted. Personally, I know that I have an increased responsibility to vote as a woman, but that responsibility is doubled by the fact that I am an elected official who has been given the duty to represent over 50,000 people. So my vote here at the Council is also something I take very seriously every Tuesday night and honor the legacy of women's suffrage, the movement, and what it stood for. Representing those voices is something I take very seriously. And I think it's really important as we talk about the history that we think about the women that have served in this city. I look to my left and my right and I see women who have work who work hard every single day to represent their residents. And I know that the female voice is important to the progress we see in our communities. And I there's one piece of Long Beach history that I didn't know, and that is the first elected city auditor who was elected 100 years ago today is yes. Myrtle Gonzales Laura Dowd has a conference conference room in her office dedicated to her, named after her. She was elected auditor 11 times, winning in the primary, each time receiving more votes than any other candidate running for office on the ballot. She was in office elected in 1919 and retired in 1951. 32 years of elected service. But for years before that she was the deputy city auditor. During her time in office. Oil was discovered in Signal Hill. Women in the U.S. won the right to vote. She was in office when women earned and won the right to vote. She lets. See. The Great Depression began and ended. World War Two began and ended. The naval base was established here. CSU, ILB and Long Beach City College were established here during her time in office. So as much as I like to think we're pioneers and we're creating, you know, amazing pathways, we are we are in some sense. But certainly there were many, many pioneers that came here before us. And so I, I hope to support this endeavor as much as I can in my council district. I started a leadership academy for young girls. And unfortunately, that's a very hard program to sustain without dedicated funding and staff to work on it. But we certainly have tried. We have speakers come and we would love to do more programs like that this year so that we can remind them. You know, one of the things my mom, single mom raised me, she always said, don't be afraid to go against the crowd, because at the end of the day, you have to do what you think is right. You have to be able to go to sleep at night and not have regrets about your values and going against your values. And that it's not always been uncomfortable, but that has served me well. So I think if we can teach our young girls to dream big dreams and to do what they think is right, even when it might be unpopular in that particular setting, that they should continue to do that. And so I'm glad there's two young girls here from Lowell watching this tonight. It was the perfect night for you to be here. And I thank our presenters and anything that my office can do. And I'm hopeful, as many important causes as we find, as many programs that we fund in this city, this is one that is very, very important to more than 50% of our population. And I hope it's one that we can honor through the dedication of some funds, because it really applies to, you know, all brackets regard regardless of what district you live in, regardless of your socioeconomic status, regardless of your educational status, it's it's about recognition of a big part of our history that's going to serve as a springboard for our future. So thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Mongeau. I think that almost all that could be said has been said. I really appreciate the email that came to inform us about the information related to this. I thought it was well written and descriptive and I appreciate the amount of research and knowledge that is among your group. So thank you for bringing that. Up, Councilman Richardson. Just wanted to chime in and say that I really enjoyed this this item. Thank you, Councilwoman Pearce. Everyone who signed on. Thank you to, you know, all the women on the council. Councilwoman Price, very eloquent, very thoughtful statement. I didn't know very much about that individual. I think I look I'll look that individual up. And, you know, I think there's been a recurrent theme these last few weeks about these unsung heroes. Lobbies posted a really interesting article on some unsung heroes during African-American History Month. And we learned today about, you know, the clerk. So really interesting stuff. So I wanted to just chime in and say, I look forward to this. Thank you for stepping forward a year in advance and giving us the opportunity to participate. Make sure that there's you know, that there's events across the city. Make sure that other community groups that may want to do something can be factored into that 100 100 event sprint in a city as large as ours. I think this is something we certainly can can pull off. So. So thank you I think is a good goal. Count on me in support and I look forward to talking. Thank you. Councilmember Ringo. Thank you, Mayor. And I want to certainly thank our council women, powerful, strong women who are here with very proud, too, to be in your service as well. I just found out right now that there's a street in West Long Beach named after. Surrogate, Francis Willard. It's a Willard Street in the in west Long Beach Outlet right right past Saturday right around right around where real high school is. So I think it's something that we need to celebrate. I mean, I just found out so we can hopefully be included. It's okay to recognize that that street as well here in Long Beach. So looking forward to whatever we we end up doing in the very near future. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilmember Councilmember Supernanny. Thank you. I better chime in if that last comment. We have Willard Elementary School in the fourth District. So they would kill me if I didn't say that. Also, I'm very impressed that we got the right date on this because it was a very complicated process with lots of states ratifying it. Very often the wrong date is quoted, and the reason I've known that date all my life is because my mother was born on August 24th, 1920. So all my life I heard that. Yeah, once she was born, they knew they better pass that thing. So. Yeah, great. Mom, you're real special. Thank you. But she. She died one year ago at age 97. It was always fun to take her to the polls because everyone would say, well, she knows she can do absentee ballot. And I'd say, well, you know, she really likes to show up at the polls because she was born before women had the right to vote as great to see the young kids in there. They couldn't believe someone was still alive. But it. Just points out. This is recent history actually hundred years ago is still very recent. So thank you for allowing me to sign onto this. I am very proud to do so and thanks for bringing this forward. Thank you, Councilmember. Councilman Austin? Yes, I'll be brief. I do appreciate the presentation. I am excited about the the outcomes over the next year. You can count on my support. And yes, my majority team of women will be will be supporting this as well. I just take it about the suffrage movement and where we are today. It's just amazing how and what an impact women have had on government throughout from from every level at this point. And I am proud to serve with with the four women but many women throughout city hall who are involved in government here in the city of Long Beach. And so I look forward to working with you all over the next year. Thank you. And Vice. Mayor. Yes, fine. I just want to give you a shout out, because the fact that a father of four girls I know now I have to live watching this. I told them they must stay up and watch this tonight. And I know the suffrage women have gone through and they have to listen to Mrs. Price speech. I know they will run for any and everything that they need to. Thank you guys again. And kudos to every one of you. Thank you. And obviously, you know, I'm a huge supporter of this effort and I'm just really, obviously always proud. Any time that our Human Relations Commission but particularly, you know, Zoe, I think you are our leading voice on this topic, not just in the city, but certainly one of the leading voices across the country. And so thank you for your leadership. And we look forward to participating and supporting in any way that we can as your public comment on this item. Please come forward. Can't have one speaker. This will close the speaker's list after the speaker. Hello, everyone. My name is Karen Harper and I live in the third district. And I just wanted to say, this is what a radical feminist looks like. Radical means equality and justice for all. And I just want to mention a few spectacular women that all of you may not know about. The Historical Society in Long Beach Unified created these four books on women who made a difference. Every third grader is supposed to be exposed to them. Kimi Sugiyama. Lilian Robles. Mary Dell Butler. Olivia Herrera, who now has a school named after her. And I also wanted to mention my Mac, an African American woman who started the USO for African-Americans because of segregation during World War Two and before that because local African-Americans couldn't get loans. She started a credit union. So that's just a little window of all the wonderful people we're going to learn about. Thank you. Thank you. We're all pretty excited now. It's great history. Thank you so much. Please cast your vote.