To celebrate the centennial of the ratification of the 19th amendment in the US, Power in Place is creating a TIME CAPSULE

PURPOSE:
• To commemorate the original work of women of color in their fight for the 19th amendment
• Bring attention to the lives of women of color in elected positions today.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
Many organizations celebrated the centennial of the 19th amendment; however, few solely focused on the work of women of color. Power in Place acknowledges that this history has largely been ignored, and we strive to bring attention to it. When women’s suffrage is taught in the context of United States history, white women are primarily the focus. Many Americans do not realize how many women of color, specifically Black and Native American women, played large roles in the process of suffrage in the United States. Through this time capsule, we hope to bring attention to this history.

HOW:
Our time capsule will be a collection of handwritten responses from women of color in elected positions to questions and historic quotes we have chosen. The choice to collect responses from women in elected positions comes from the core of Power in Place. We are an organization striving to increase visibility for women in leadership through storytelling and portraits of women in elected positions. The responses from the women we will ask also speaks to our mission of storytelling; Women of color in 2025 will be able to tell their stories and experiences of life in 2025. This time capsule will serve to recognize a history that has been largely ignored, and to bring attention to the lives of women of color in 2025.

PRESENTATION:
Our intent is to hand off our Time Capsule to a bi-partisan institution focused on increasing women’s participation in politics (i.e., The League of Women Voters) or an entity preserving historical artifacts (i.e., The Library of Congress). Upon the transfer of the Physical Time Capsule, we intend to mount an exhibit of our photographic portraits of Women of Color spotlighted by Power in Place throughout the years. The Time Capsule shall be reopened in 2065 on the Centennial Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act in celebration when all citizens received the right to vote.