Jan. 25, 2021

Media Advisory: Following First Female VP Inauguration, Local Leaders to Discuss Historic Election Outcomes

  • What: A virtual panel discussion with local leaders and university experts will explore the history of equal rights in Southern Arizona. The event coincides with "Founding Mothers: From the Ballot Box to the University," a new online exhibit by Special Collections in University Libraries.
  • When: Thursday, Jan. 28, 6 p.m.
  • Where: Register for the online event at the University Libraries website

TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona will present a panel discussion with local leaders and experts on barriers to voting, Native rights, Latina women and the vote, and the history of women's suffrage in Arizona.

The event comes on the heels of the inauguration last week of the United States' first female vice president, as well as the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote. Kamala Harris is also the first Black and first South Asian vice president, and one of many candidates from diverse backgrounds who were elected in state and local elections in 2020.

The panel discussion is presented by Special Collections in partnership with Patricia MacCorquodale, professor emerita in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies. The event is part of "Founding Mothers: From the Ballot Box to the University," an online exhibit by Special Collections.

Panelists include:

Panelists will discuss how the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment – which granted women the right to vote – and 2020's historic election outcomes have impacted them. They will also talk about how people and institutions can remove barriers that prevent people from participating in democracy, and how to encourage participation among women and people of color.

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Media contact:
Kenya Johnson
University Libraries
520-621-3617
kdjohnson@arizona.edu

The University of Arizona, a land-grant university with two independently accredited medical schools, is one of the nation's top 40 public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as a student-centric university and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The university ranked in the top 20 in 2018 in research expenditures among all public universities, according to the National Science Foundation, and is a leading Research 1 institution with $687 million in annual research expenditures. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 65 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually. For the latest on the University of Arizona response to the novel coronavirus, visit the university's COVID-19 webpage.