City of Rochester News Release - Mayor Lovely Warren and Susan B. Anthony House Announce “200 Years of Susan B. Anthony/100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment” Year-Long Celebration

 City of Rochester News Release 
 

 (Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren today joined with Deborah Hughes, President & CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House, to announce a year-long celebration in the Rochester community in honor of the 200th birthday of renowned suffragist Susan B. Anthony.

“Rochester’s legacy as a catalyst for civil rights in this country is undisputable,” said Mayor Warren.  “We are fortunate that two of the most iconic abolitionists and suffragists in the history of our nation lived right here in our city.  Two years ago, we recognized the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass with a year-long community-wide celebration, and now it is our honor to pay tribute to Susan B. Anthony in the same manner, as we commemorate her 200th birthday in 2020.”

In addition to celebrating Ms. Anthony’s birthday, this year also marks the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which when ratified on Aug. 18, 1920 granted women in the United States the right to vote.

As part of today’s announcement, a new 200th anniversary logo was unveiled that will be used on signage, banners, paraphernalia and other materials over the course of the year. 

Mayor Warren also announced that a new website, rocsuffrage.org, has been launched.  The website, designed and hosted by the Rochester Regional Library Council, will provide an easily accessible, central location where the public can find a complete listing of all events and activities related to the celebration of Ms. Anthony and the suffragist movement.

In addition to events planned by the City and the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House, other groups and organizations that are hosting activities will be able to add their events to the listings as well.

“The Anthony Museum and the city of Rochester – the city Susan B. Anthony called home – are poised at the beginning of a historically significant year,” said Anthony Museum President & CEO Deborah Hughes.  “We invite our entire community to join in this year-long celebration of the life and legacy of this legendary social reformer.”

“2020 is going to be a very special year for women – in our local community and throughout the entire country,” Mayor Warren added.  “And we’re going to do our best to make sure the focus is on women all year long.”

In celebration of the women’s movement, the City of Rochester has plans to bring a special headliner to this summer’s ROC Women’s Fest, and one of the weekly Party in the Park events will be dedicated to women, with only female performers taking the stage throughout the evening.

A special surprise performance will also engage fans at the Summer Soul Music Fest, and a variety of events will be happening at the Rochester Public Market over the spring, summer and fall months to commemorate the suffrage movement.

The Susan B. Anthony Museum & House also has a number of activities planned for the year. 

The organization will host a special Susan B. Anthony 200th Birthday Dinner on the evening of Feb. 12 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.  More information about this event can be found at https://susanb.org/event/susan-b-anthonys-200th-birthday-celebration-dinner/.

In addition, the 2020 Quilt Project has collected quilt panels from across the nation that commemorate the Suffragist Movement.  The Quilt Project will be on display at various locations throughout the year.  A small sample is currently on display in the City Hall Atrium through early February.   

Other activities planned by the Anthony Museum include a partnership with RIT for a Big Shot photo in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood, Votercade 2020 events during the spring, summer and fall, and the Suffragist City Parade.

Additional events are still in the planning stages.  For more information and a continuously updated list of activities, visit rocsuffrage.org.

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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo, 428-7135.