WE Empower Daily

Keep Going for Freedom

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Posted by Arabella Santiago on August 27, 2008

Women's Suffrage Parade in New York City, 1912.

On August 26, 1920, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification of the 19th Amendment officially announcing women's right to vote.  Now, 88 years later, discussions about women and the political process continue to resonate amidst the impending presidential election. When I began writing this blog post last night, the first woman to ever gain a majority party nomination for president, Senator Hillary Clinton, was onstage at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

“My mother was born before women could vote. My daughter got to vote for her mother for president," Senator Clinton said. "This is the story of America, of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.”

The Women’s Conference 2007 featured a history-making conversation with the spouses of the presidential nominees that included Michelle Obama who spoke Monday night at the Democratic National Convention about improbable journeys. I can only imagine the struggle Americans faced during the suffrage movement fighting for what we now take as a basic and fundamental right.

I am touched by what past generations endured for freedom and equality because my personal journey epitomizes the American Dream. I immigrated to the United States at the age of 5 from the Philippines. I became nationalized at 14. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I value the public college education I received at Rutgers University. Now, I am helping build this website and Online community for an incredible organization that seeks to empower women.

There’s a lot to be grateful for, and at the same time, there’s a lot more left to do and contribute to make our nation the best that it can be. Senator Clinton urged that we follow the example of Harriet Tubman, who said, "If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.’”

Senator Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention 2008

Conversation with Presidential Candidates' Wives at The Women's Conference 2007