Publisher - August 2020

"Don’t ever give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about." —Winston Churchill
This month women across America will celebrate having the right to vote for 100 years. Collectively, we can remember the fight that was put forth by bold, brave women, who indeed could not go a day without thinking about women, for then and all time forward, having a say in the leadership and direction of the United States of America.

"Never hope for it more than you work for it." - Sonya Teclai

A few years ago in a Publisher’s Note, I wrote about backsliding on my weight loss. What does this have to do with women’s rights? Well, even though I had put a few pounds back on, to get back on track, I kept saying my mantra out loud every day—Never Go Back! Never Go Back! Never Go Back! What I have learned in researching and putting this #Empowered100Years issue together is that we too, as women, need to develop the same mantra—Never Go Back! Never Go Back! Never Go Back!

"No grit, no pearl." - Anonymous

I have been both fascinated and humbled by the heroic measures women in history took to get us where we are today. I am remiss that I didn’t know more before I was forced to delve into the world of suffrage to prepare for this issue. I want every woman and every girl to know that most of the freedoms we have today as women are because of the women of yesterday.

"Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve." - J.K. Rowling

So why do we still need the mantra Never Go Back? Well, history has a way of repeating itself. If we forget what it took to get the freedoms we enjoy tnow, we could get careless and lose them. When one has no “skin in the game,” one no longer values the fight. It’s easy to sit on your sofa on election day and skip voting, or to cop an attitude about the candidates to justify not voting.. Many tell themselves their vote doesn’t matter anyway, which is simply not true. Every vote counts!

One of the most impactful facts I recently learned is there are more female registered voters than male. That means women could control the vote if they were as passionate as the suffragists of 100 years ago. Isn’t that an eyeopener?

"Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid.
Courage means you don’t let fear stop you." - Bethany Hamilton

In celebration of the last century of the rise of women, which all started with the 19th Amendment (the right to vote regardless of sex), I dedicate this issue to those brave women who were determined to make change, and also to you and to me, who continue to have a heart for this country and are positively pushing it forward.

While we may be guilty of forgetting it wasn’t that long ago when we were a silenced gender, we have come too far to ever go back. Women! Let’s unite to work for what’s important and help support other women.

“Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen,
but give us the determination to make the right things happen.” —Horace Mann

Though the 2000s’ lifestyle seems to dissuade people from joining civic organizations and getting involved, there are still many wonderful and powerful groups out there making a difference. Find your passion and join in. Whether your interests are in-line with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWV), Zonta International, Rotary International, a political party affiliate, a charitable organization, or any organized group working for a cause you believe in, you will feel empowered and purposeful in your community and in the world by joining. (Each of the organizations mentioned have clubs in Beaufort County.)

"There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications and just go for it." - Judith McNaught

Get ready to feel inspired when you read the articles on the following pages about the suffrage movement and what it has meant not only for womankind, but for our country. It’s unbelievable it was only a short 100 years ago. We’ve come along way, baby! Let’s keep going.

Think Pink,
Elizabeth Millen