DCA closes closes the centennial of women’s suffrage with the Smithsonian Poster Exhibition Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence. The exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment and explores the complexity of the women’s suffrage movement and the relevance of this history to Americans’ lives today. Based on the National Portrait Gallery exhibition of the same name, Votes for Women seeks to expand visitors’ understanding of the suffrage movement in the United States.

The exhibition addresses women’s political activism, explores the racism that challenged universal suffrage, and documents the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment which prohibits the government from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote on the basis of gender. It also touches upon the suffrage movement’s relevance to current conversations on voting and voting rights across America. Presented courtesy of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative. The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story, is one of the country’s most ambitious undertakings to research, collect, document display, and share the compelling story of women. It will deepen understanding of women’s contributions to the nation and the world. More information about the initiative is available at womenshistory.si.edu.