Friday, August 23, women from across the state gathered on the steps of the Capitol in a non-partisan celebration of Women’s Suffrage Day. The event honored the 99th Anniversary of the ratification of the nineteenth Amendment prohibiting federal and state governments from denying women the right to vote in elections.

Gilmore stated, “Gathering with these women on the steps of the capitol is a testament to the legacy of the women who came before us, and the great future accomplishments of the women who will come after us. Tennessee women have spearheaded our state’s remarkable growth and will continue to make Tennessee a beacon of light for women’s advancement.”

August 18, 1920, Tennessee’s approval provided the last of the necessary 36 states to secure ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Women henceforth could never be denied the right to cast a ballot.