Vote like everything depends on it
Happy Women’s Equality Day!
In 1920, the 19th Amendment was certified, finally granting American women the legal right to vote. It wasn’t perfect—many women of color were still kept from the polls through racist laws and practices—but it was a step. And steps matter when you’re climbing a mountain as steep as dismantling the patriarchy.
Today, 104 years later, that right still isn’t something we can take for granted. Voter suppression, gerrymandering, attacks on reproductive freedom, threats to LGBTQ+ rights—these aren’t history lessons. They’re headlines. And they’re why Women’s Equality Day is not just a “Yay, we did it!” holiday—it’s a “Get off your butt and make sure we keep it” call to action.
I see this meme frequently:
“Someone asked me if I had plans for the fall, it took me a moment to realize they meant ‘Autumn,’ not the collapse of civilization.”
Funny? Yes. A little too real? Also yes. Because here’s the truth: the only way we get to joke about the “fall” instead of living through the worst version of it is if we show up. We vote. We organize. We remind each other that democracy is a group project.
And maybe this is why my favorite suffragist of all time will always be Mrs. Banks from Mary Poppins—striding around in her sash, singing “Sister Suffragette” with unapologetic cheer. She knew the work was serious, but she also knew it could be joyful.
If you’re looking for a little suffragist spirit on your bookshelf, here are three from my TBR that I’m excited to dive into:
Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women, Book 1) by Evie Dunmore, narrated by Elizabeth Jasicki – Historical romance meets political activism, with plenty of sparks. NOTE: I was so excited to read this that it’s no longer on my TBR—it’s on my 5-⭐ reads list now!
The Countess Conspiracy (The Brothers Sinister, Book 3) by Courtney Milan, narrated by Rosalyn Landor – A brilliant, unconventional heroine hiding her genius behind a man’s name.
City of Lies by Victoria Thompson, narrated by Kate Forbes – A conwoman turned suffragist, caught between lies, love, and the fight for women’s rights.
If you’re reading this, you have power. Your ballot is a tool—and like any tool, it’s only useful if you actually use it. Women fought for generations to get it into our hands. Now it’s on us to wield it wisely, fiercely, and often.
So, make a plan. Check your registration. Help your friends check theirs. Show up in every election—not just the big ones. And vote like the fall you’re planning for is autumn, with cozy sweaters and crunchy leaves… not the fall of our rights.
Because the patriarchy isn’t going to dismantle itself, darling. But together? We absolutely can.
