Democratic Women of Macon County IL

06/10/2026

Happy 25th birthday, Sasha! It’s been such a joy watching you grow into a brilliant, beautiful young woman as you blaze a trail of your own. I couldn’t be prouder of you. ❤️

06/10/2026

Same job. Same skill. Same paycheck. Brother OR Sister. That's what the 1963 Equal Pay Act is supposed to guarantee, and what we're still fighting to make real on every jobsite.

06/09/2026

This is for everyone. If you ever thought you could do it, consider running for office. Your community needs you.

June 8, 2026 - Residents interested in serving their community through elected office will have an opportunity...

06/08/2026

06/08/2026

This week has been crazy, thank you to the Macon County Democratic Central Committee and Bryan E. Smith for Macon County Clerk for asking us to join them at this year's Macon County Fair! We had a great time but boy was it a hot one today! Thank you to Debby Thompson for joining me this week and Michelle Wayne for Macon County Board 5 for covering the table yesterday while I was in Logan County for their Pridefest.

Here are a few pictures from this week!

- Jennifer Ellis

permission provided by Brittany Brown to share the image of her and her lovely little one.

06/05/2026

The 19th Amendment was passed by both houses of Congress in 1919, which began the state ratification process that would lead to the Amendment's certification in the Constitution on August 26, 1920.

But the battle for women's right to vote didn't end there. While it represented a major victory for the movement after nearly 70 years of activism, the 19th Amendment did not simply grant universal suffrage for all women.

Native American women were not considered US citizens until 1924, but until as late as 1962, individual states still prevented them from voting.

Asian American immigrant women were excluded from voting until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 allowed them to gain citizenship.

Black women faced Jim Crow-era barriers like poll taxes, voter ID requirements, and acts of violence that threatened their ability to cast a ballot until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Latina women faced literacy tests and other language-based setbacks that prevented them from voting until a 1975 extension of the Voting Rights Act.

As we celebrate this monumental achievement for women, we also recognize that only some of the women who fought for suffrage were able to exercise their newly-won right to vote. Despite being some of the movement's fiercest advocates, suffragists like Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, Zitkála-Šá, and Luisa Capetillo could not cast their first ballots in the 1920 election because of their race.

Today, we honor the women who not only fought for the 19th Amendment's passage, but also after it, as their efforts on behalf of their communities paved the way for the freedoms of all American women.

📷: Dora Lewis (seated), Abby Scott Baker (seated), Anita Pollitzer (standing), Alice Paul (seated), Florence Boeckel (seated), and Mabel Vernon (standing) conferring over ratification of the 19th Amendment at the National Woman's Party headquarters, 1919.

06/05/2026

On this day in 1919, Congress approved the woman’s suffrage amendment and sent it to the states for ratification. Adding the amendment to the Constitution required ratification by three-fourths of the states, which at that time was 36 of 48.

The National Woman’s Party led by Alice Paul began sewing stars on a giant purple, white, and gold flag. Each time a state ratified the 19th Amendment, a new star would be sewn on the flag.

The 19th Amendment became law more than a year after Congress approved the amendment. The 36th state, Tennessee, voted to ratify on August 18, 1920. This image shows Alice Paul unfurling that flag from the suffrage headquarters on that day.

The Library of Congress is home to the NWP records and library collection.

Image: Photo shows a group of women waving their arms in celebration while the ratification banner with its 36 victory stars hangs from the balcony of the National Woman's Party headquarters. 1920. Photo by Harris & Ewing. National Women's Party Records, Library of Congress.

06/04/2026

Democratic Women of Macon County proudly endorse Michelle Wayne for Macon County Board 5! You've got our support, Michelle!