Philadelphia, known as The City of Brotherly Love, has recently made a powerful move to honor the struggle of women’s rights in our country. Paying respect to the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment which recognized women’s right to vote, the city is changing its nickname to the City of Sisterly Love for all of 2020.
“Philadelphia is proud to join the nation in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment,” City Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement. “Women are the backbone of our families, our communities, and our society. This ceremonial changing of our nickname, and accompanying tourism campaign from Visit Philadelphia, are among the many ways Philadelphia will mark this milestone.”
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According to cnn.com, City Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson introduced the resolution Thursday, noting that while this anniversary recognizes women’s right to vote, the resolution points out that millions were not allowed to actually participate in elections for decades to come.
“The language does not shy away from acknowledging that the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in print, but not in practice,” Gilmore Richardson said in the meeting. “A vast number of women of color were still fully disenfranchised until the 1965 Voting Rights Act. A fact that continues to elude the narrative about the 19th Amendment.” The 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920.
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The new nickname was agreed upon by tourism group Visit Philadelphia and the City Council to get visitors and residents to explore Philadelphia and contributions of the city’s women, Gilmore Richardson said.
Gilmore Richardson added that this resolution was not intended to erase men but to uplift women, “because we don’t have to put someone down to lift someone up.”
