The New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) will participate in New Jersey's yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the constitutional right to vote.

The NJSBA is partnering with New Jersey Women Vote: The 19th Amendment at 100, an initiative of the New Jersey Historical Commission, which will hold a variety of programs and events across the state to educate the public and promote civic engagement on the history of the 19th Amendment, New Jersey's role in the women's suffrage movement, and the amendment's relevance today regarding expanding and protecting voting rights.

Many New Jersey women, including Alice Paul, a Mount Laurel native who founded the National Woman's Party and co-wrote the Equal Rights Amendment, were leaders in the women's suffrage movement. The 19th Amendment was ratified on Aug. 26, 1920; New Jersey was the 29th state to approve it on Feb. 10, 1920.

"The NJSBA is proud to partner with New Jersey Women Vote to celebrate this historic milestone in our democracy and to educate the public about women's long struggle to gain the right to vote," said NJSBA President Evelyn Padin.

"Even after the passage of the 19th Amendment, millions of women were prevented from voting because of their race, ethnicity or socio-economic status. The NJSBA is committed to promoting laws that ensure full and equal exercise of the right to vote for all, and to participate in our democracy," Padin said.

New Jersey Women Vote is working with more than 65 organizations throughout the state to provide events and activities this year, including voter registration drives organized by the League of Women Voters and the Alice Paul Institute; a presidential primary mock election for grades 4–12 from Feb. 3–15, organized by New Jersey Vote 100; and a reenactment, by local theater companies, of the trial of Alice Paul and other National Woman's Party suffragists who were jailed after protesting in front of the White House. "The yearlong celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment's ratification is an exciting opportunity for the NJSBA to educate the public about the importance of the women's suffrage movement and its legacy, and to continue our work to increase civic engagement," said Kimberly A. Yonta, NJSBA president-elect.

The NJSBA will host the American Bar Association's traveling exhibit, "100 Years After the 19th Amendment: Their Legacy and Our Future," from Feb. 1–16, at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick. The exhibit features historic photos and artifacts, details the story of the battle for ratification, and outlines the challenges that remain.

The NJSBA also will participate in a social media campaign launched by New Jersey Women Vote, called #WomenVoteWednesday. At Law Center events, the NJSBA will take photos of members who handwrite their answer to the question, "Why I vote," on a sign, and encourage members to continue the social media campaign off site.

The NJSBA and the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association are co-sponsoring a panel discussion, "The 19th Amendment & New Jersey: A Centennial Celebration of Yesterday and Today," on Feb. 3 at the Law Center. New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way, co-chair of New Jersey Women Vote, will be the keynote speaker, and Sharon Hallanan, an NJSBA member and historian, will discuss the 19th Amendment. NJSBA past president Thomas H. Prol will be a panelist at the program hosted by the Middlesex County Bar Association.

The NJSBA also will host a National Archives Museum pop-up exhibit, "Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote," at the Law Center when the New Jersey Women Vote activities culminate on Sept. 26 with a daylong celebration that includes a "suffragists" march through New Brunswick to raise awareness about the right to vote.

To lend an air of authenticity, vintage cars of the era and re-enactors dressed as suffragists in white dresses, wearing "Votes for Women" sashes and carrying signs, will make their way through the streets and Rutgers University campus. The festivities will include Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra, one of the premier Jazz Age-style dance orchestras.