The below piece is the winning collegiate essay in the Network of enlightened Women’s Essay Contest, sponsored by the Washington Examiner.
It seems as though it was just yesterday when the flip of a page revealed the ever-familiar black-and-white photograph of suffragists gathered in front of the White House, proudly wearing bright white sashes across their chests and holding large picket signs that displayed their impatience in the face of prolonged and systemically upheld inequality.
This image, printed across the glossy sheets of my American history textbook back in the eighth grade, was powerful and moving. It is still vivid in my mind despite that having been the last time I have physically seen that picture at school. In retrospect, to tell the truth, I feel as though many of my years spent in the education system have gone by without paying any due respect to the suffrage efforts of women in this country and far too long have neglected the immense progress made by those who have led these movements.
Even as we reach the hundredth year in which America has rightfully extended to women the freedom to voice their views through the ballot box, there are still many who believe as though no progress has been made in this decadeslong fight for equality. They have been fed a narrative of perpetual oppression, taught to live in complete discontent as a result of these alleged ongoing injustices, and conditioned to doubt their capacities for success and cap their ambitions duly.
This in itself highlights the importance of celebrating the historic moment of the ratification of the 19th Amendment — which abolished the discrimination in voting on the basis of one’s gender.
Our history books so often skim over the accomplishments of the brave women of our past. Instead, they have instilled a victim mentality within our youth, refusing to acknowledge those who have persisted in the face of real oppression to win the liberties we take for granted today.
Because we have failed to teach young girls about the immense social progress that has been made by the leaders of yesterday, they are unable to appreciate the freedoms they enjoy today or dream of the greater feats they can accomplish tomorrow.
Rather, they indulge in self-inflicted victimization, fighting an often-nonexistent enemy fabricated for the sole purpose of providing women these days (usually living comfortable lives in socially egalitarian First World countries) with a meaningful struggle that they so long for. That is not a recipe for success or happiness; it only serves to proliferate more anger and disgruntlement.
As the saying goes, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In this case, the repeat is historic injustice on a continuous loop, where it seems like women can just never be free — according to the mantra so frequently espoused by modern-day feminism, of course. However, this should not be surprising; if we are oblivious to the major advancements made by those who came before us, it is not illogical to conclude that no such progress has been made. It should be our mission, therefore, to educate and empower our peers because, at the end of the day, only the truth will set you free.
Failure to acknowledge and remember the unprecedented progress and victories made throughout history binds us to an identity of “victim,” inevitably forcing us to view others as the oppressors and consequently breeding division, resentment, and an overall attitude of dissatisfaction — despite living in one of the freest and most just societies in the world.
On the contrary, recognizing the freedom you now possess will open your mind up to endless possibilities of success while understanding the true sacrifices made by our predecessors not only allows us to feel greater gratitude for what we have today, but also reminds us that we too can do the unthinkable and accomplish anything we set our minds to.
I cannot help but stress how crucial it is to commemorate and celebrate this momentous achievement in our history, given that it continues to shape our lives today and gives us hope for what is to come in the future. Again, it is only when we understand our past that we can move forward.
We may no longer have to picket in front of the White House as the ladies of the suffrage movement did back in 1917. But as we look back and honor their bravery and resilience in the name of equality and justice for all, we can now look forward and dream of a brighter tomorrow.
Hannah Kim is a student at the University of South Florida.
