SENATORS GILLIBRAND AND SCHUMER ANNOUNCE KAREN HILL’S APPOINTMENT TO WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION IN HONOR OF 100th ANNIVERSARY OF PASSAGE AND RATIFICATION OF 19th AMENDMENT
Hill’s Appointment to the Commission Recognizes Her Dedication to Honoring New York’s Role in the Women’s Suffrage Movement
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced the appointment of Karen Hill, President and CEO of the Harriet Tubman Home and Park (HTH), to the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. The State of New York was the birthplace of the women’s suffrage movement and is home to some of the most notable landmarks in the history of the women’s suffrage movement. This appointment will allow Karen Hill to serve as a voice for New York on the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, which is tasked with planning educational events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment.
The Commission will work with federal agencies, state and local governments, private organizations, and Congress to develop and coordinate educational activities for Americans to commemorate and learn about the women’s suffrage movement. Karen Hill will work on the Commission to award grants to organizations in New York and across the country to support programs that commemorate the anniversary of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment.
“I am thrilled to announce Karen Hill’s appointment to the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. Her dedication to preserving Harriet Tubman’s legacy and the history of the Harriet Tubman Home and National Historical Park shows her commitment to lifting up the ideals of the Underground Railroad Conductor and Suffragist,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “Karen has been a champion for women’s rights, and I am proud to have advocated for her appointment to this Commission.”
“Having worked side-by-side with Karen Hill for many years as we fought to establish the Harriet Tubman Home as a National Historic Park, I know firsthand how dedicated she is to public service. I am honored to appoint Karen to the Women’s Suffrage Commission and I have no doubt she will use her role to help all Americans celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer.
“I want to thank Senator Gillibrand and Senator Schumer for their work to make the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission a reality,” said Karen Hill, President & CEO of the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. “The Suffrage Commission is an opportunity to shine a light on the many sites across central New York that represent a part of the suffrage movement. This will also be a moment to lift up the dynamic presence of all women across the country who fought for freedom and is very much in the tradition of what Harriet Tubman would do.”
Senator Gillibrand fought for passage of the bipartisan Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission Act, which was passed earlier this year. This law will support educational programs across the country to celebrate the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in America. This law and Karen Hill’s seat on the commission will provide the opportunity for New York to be recognized as an instrumental leader in the struggle for women’s suffrage by providing grant funding for programs and activities that commemorate the efforts of the Suffragists and the role of New Yorkers who promoted the movement.
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