Live from the Museum

Students are invited to celebrate the First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement during a virtual tour of the National Constitution Center’s newest gallery, The First Amendment. Protecting some of our most cherished freedoms—religious liberty, free speech, a free press, the freedom of assembly, and the right to petition—the First Amendment is a pillar of democracy and the American way. Take a closer look at how leaders of the Civil Rights Movement used the First Amendment to create constitutional change. 

Tuesday, January 23 | 11 am CT

Run time: 45 minutes

Click here to register via Zoom

Students are invited to join the National Constitution Center via Zoom for a celebration of student voices in the Civil Rights Movement. Together discover the stories of students who insisted on equality for all and how their actions shaped our constitutional history. 

Tuesday, January 19 | 11 am CT

Run time: 20 minutes

Live ASL Interpretation Available

Click here to register via Zoom

Participants will focus on separation of powers and how the Constitution set up a system of checks and balances between the different branches of government. There will also be conversations around Federalism and the debate over how to balance the powers of the national government, the powers of the states, and the rights of individuals. Professor Aziz Z. Huq of The University of Chicago Law School join the conversation. 

Wednesday, January 17 | 5:30–7 p.m. CT

Click here to register via Zoom

Sponsored by The National Constitution Center

A Vote for Women will be launched on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at 1 pm CST through a high-profile digital event. This official book launch will encompass a series of speakers and a Q&A session, and invitees have been drawn from government, politics, education, business, and the non-profit sector. A full event program will be made available here shortly. 

To attend this event, please register by March 29, 2021.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provided a constitutional right to vote by prohibiting voter discrimination against women, the 2020 Women's Vote Centennial Initiative (WVCI), together with publisher St James’s House, is launching A Vote for Women: Celebrating the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the 19th Amendment. 

Join internationally exhibited artist, filmmaker, and writer Mariam Ghani for a virtual conversation about two of her upcoming projects developed around the 100th anniversary of the 1918 pandemic. Watch clips from the film DIS-EASE, which examines themes of illness, otherness, and invasion. Then enjoy the short The Fire Next Time. This film traces the connection between epidemics and social upheaval from the 1800s to the present. Ghani is joined in conversation by Saisha Grayson, time-based media curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Sabrina Sholts, the eruptions curator of biological anthropology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Learn more about Ghani’s films, Sholts’s 2018 exhibit Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World, and how past health crises inform how we navigate COVID-19’s impact on our individual lives and societal landscapes. Ghani’s documentary What We Left Unfinished (2019) is also available for viewing on the Women Filmmakers Virtual Festival webpage from Monday, March 15, to Sunday, March 22. Questions and comments submitted by viewers about this film will be discussed during this virtual program.

This program is made possible by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story, and is co-presented with the National Museum of Natural History. The South Dakota State Historical Society is an Affiliate partner of the Smithsonian.

Wednesday, March 17, 4:30 p.m. CST

Register Now

Time: 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM (MDT)
Registration Deadline: 3/16/21 11:30 AM (MDT)
Kelly Kirk, Instructor of History at Black Hills State University, will be the guest speaker for a special presentation celebrating Women's History Month.

Women In Networking (WIN) is an organization for women in business that provides an opportunity to widen their professional networks and promote your business and network with other women. WIN connects women, familiarizes participants with other businesses and/or upcoming events, and supports the SD CEO Women's Business Center.

Register today >>>

Our friends at the Minnesota Historical Society present Allan Lichtman of American University.

Lichtman will explore how Americans have fought and died for the right to vote yet the world’s oldest continuously operating democracy guarantees the franchise to no one, not even citizens.

This lack of universal voting rights originated in a crucial mistake by America’s founders: omitting a right to vote from the Constitution and leaving the franchise to the discretion of individual states. The battles for the vote from the founding to the present, show that today our voting rights are in greater jeopardy than at any time in recent years.

Free, advanced registration required. Join via Zoom.

GET TICKETS >>>

The South Dakota Hall of Fame will be inducting its 2020 class, two members being Her Vote. Her Voice.’s delegate Katherine Kinsman and our SD suffragist Mamie Pyle. Tune in online on the Hall of Fame Facebook page and SD Public Broadcasting to watch the event.

Click the arrows to watch the event. >>>

Each year, up to ten outstanding South Dakotans are inducted into the Hall of Fame for their achievements that inspire our youth, lead the generations, and build our future. The Honors Ceremony is held every year to celebrate and recognize these individuals as they are inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame.

The stories of inductees are from all corners of the state and differ by gender, race, political orientation, vocation, and avocation. What they have in common is their pursuit and achievements of excellence. Their induction into the Hall of Fame is just the first step in honoring and sharing what they have accomplished. Their stories are archived, digitized, and shared through the Hall’s unique programs to serve as inspiration and motivation, especially in helping young people understand their potential.

After being the first in her family to earn a law degree, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin was the first woman in South Dakota elected to Congress. Today, she can be found on the campus of Augustana University serving as the university’s first female president. Herseth Sandlin’s life work reflects a value of education instilled at a young age by her grandparents and a desire she shares with her father and grandparents to serve the state in government and leadership roles.

“I want to leave a legacy in which the work that I undertook during different stages of my life to bridge divides creates and expands opportunities for multiple people in a variety of different contexts,” said Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, president, Augustana University

A statewide broadcast featuring the South Dakota landmark lightings and a commemorative toast is scheduled at 10:20 p.m. CDT/9:20 p.m. MDT on Aug. 26 on KOTA and KEVN, Rapid City and KDLT and KSFY, Sioux Falls.

On this day 100 years ago, the 19th Amendment was signed into law. Join women’s suffrage centennial organizations nationwide as we move “Forward into Light”. This event includes illuminating national, state, and local monuments, parks, city buildings, and attractions in honor of this historic milestone. The event name comes from the iconic suffrage slogan - Forward through the darkness. Forward into Llight.

Individuals, organizations, and companies that schedule a virtual toast or participate in “Foward Into the Light” can join the national and statewide efforts by partnering with Her Vote. Her Voice. and posting to social media with the #HerVoteHerVoice and #ForwardIntoLight hashtags. Join the delegation, volunteers, and sponsors of Her Vote. Her Voice. as we celebrate this milestone of American history.

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Author Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve says Native American women’s influence within the family guided their husbands at the polls, but it took education and overcoming many obstacles to get them to the polls even after Native Americans gained the right to vote.

Motivated by the desire to provide more accurate depictions of Native American experiences in children’s books, Driving Hawk Sneve launched her career as an author by entering a national writing contest. Since that contest, she has authored almost thirty books. Her work increases the visibility of women in Native American stories. Influential within the family and adaptable are two traits she identifies in Native American women.

“Female characters came from the fact that boys were always written about in children's literature when it came to a Native American adventure stories. The women were kind of ignored,” said Author Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve.

In Episode #6 of How Radical: The Podcast, Ann McKay Thompson joins Host Ginger Thomson to discuss the strategies she’s shared with women nationwide to navigate barriers and change perceptions about women in business and management. She chooses to live her life guided by a philosophy discovered in 8th grade debate class – to live life with intensity and enthusiasm. That philosophy has guided her as a leader in business, advocate for women, innovator and problem solver.

Dedicated to enhancing opportunities and the quality of life in South Dakota, Thompson converges her passion for education, culture and the arts with ideas that bring about change. Numerous state and national awards, government appointments, a best-selling business book and public initiatives recognize her ability to innovate, lead and implement programs big and small through work and volunteer efforts.

“I was raised to be a business woman. I was raised to contribute,” said Ann McKay Thompson, South Dakota changemaker in business, education, and the arts and humanities.

Tune in to Episode #5 of How Radical: The Podcast to learn about  Angela Kennecke’s work as an investigative reporter and news anchor, mission to help erase the stigma surrounding addiction and the legacy she hopes to leave for her children.

At the age of twelve, Angela Kennecke knew she wanted to be a journalist. “I want to ask people the questions,” she said when watching broadcast Journalist  Barbara Walters interview stars. She started her career at a time when she needed to overcome the female stereotype of being an “ornament” on the evening newscast. As an investigative reporter, Kennecke has asked tough questions that have resulted in altering South Dakota laws and policies. The personal tragedy of losing her daughter, Emily, has given Kennecke a new focus. With the founding of Emily’s Hope, a nonprofit with the mission of helping people who are affected, she seeks to offer  hope  and help  erase the stigma surrounding addiction.

“I went forward with this nonprofit in order to create education and awareness around this problem of addiction, not just opioids, although I do focus a lot on opioids, but all forms of addiction,” said Angela Kennecke, founder of Emily’s Hope.

Explore particular challenges suffragists faced in the Black Hills region of the state with Historian Kelly Kirk in Episode # 4 of How Radical: The Podcast. Inspired by local stories, Kirk’s research focuses on the suffrage movement in the Black Hills. During her conversation with Host Ginger Thomson, Kirk said the interconnectivity and networking among suffragists played a role in their success. Her research reveals the challenges of reaching the many small mining communities and the impact of local suffragist during the suffrage movement. 

“There is a lot that can be said for the role of networking and interconnection and the kind of female support that the suffragist enjoyed and encouraged,” said Kelly Kirk, educator and historian.

Today’s episode of How Radical: The Podcast features a conversation between Host Ginger Thomson and the Honorable Karen E. Schreier, United States District Judge for the District of South Dakota. Schreier’s journey from law school to her current position offers proof that saying yes to opportunities leads to a fulfilling career. Although she has made a difference on many fronts, she said being the first (and only) federal district court judge in South Dakota is her biggest success, and she is proud that it makes the same opportunity available to other women.

 “When I first started out, the women in the law group that used to meet here in Sioux Falls had about seven or eight women and sometimes we joked that there were so few of us, we could meet in a phone booth,” said United States District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Podcast can be heard by going here. >>>

How Radical: The Podcast, hosted by Ginger Thomson, launches today with Robert P. J. Cooney, Jr., author of “Winning the Vote: The Triumph of the American Woman Suffrage Movement.” This contemporary male supporter of the movement discusses South Dakota’s important role in the suffrage movement and brings to life the strategies used by suffragists nationally and in our state. 

“If you wanted to start anywhere you could start looking at the suffrage movement in South Dakota to get a start,” said Robert P.J. Cooney, Jr., suffragist movement historian.  “It’s a strong state history, and it’s something to be very proud of.”

The time has come - today is the 100th anniversary where women earned the right to vote. What did it take to get here? We’ll be launching our Centennial Celebration video, sharing more about the suffrage story and how you can get involved in celebrating women’s history and preserving their stories for the future. Join us live at 7 pm on Facebook and on our website as we hear from Governor Noem and the leaders championing to preserve women’s history and how you can get involved.

Event Details:

Visit www.hervotehervoice.org/live a few minutes before 7pm CST and join us live!

Virtual Lunch & Learn

The SD State Bar, Women In Law are hosting a virtual lunch and learn on August 17 at 12:30 CST. The event is centered around the 100th anniversary of Women's Suffrage in South Dakota.

US District Court Judge Karen Schreier and Molly Rozum, Associate Professor of History at USD will be present the history of the women’s' suffrage movement. The discussion will include how we can carry forward the legacy of the suffragists.

Mamie Pyle will be inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame for the class of 2020. At this event, members of Her Vote. Her Voice. will be accepting the honor on Mamie Pyle’s behalf in celebration of all the strong, courageous women who came before us and helped us earn a voice with a vote.

https://www.sdhalloffame.org/2020-honors-ceremony