Pittsburgh Suffrage

Ep. 35 The PGH Suffrage Centennial Committee celebrates our voting history

It’s been 100 years since women received the right to vote; in this episode, we learn about some notable Pittsburgh history

by Stephanie Brea | July 7, 2020

Eliza Smith Brown & Pittsburgh Suffrage Centennial Committee

One hundred years ago, the women of Pittsburgh (finally) received the right to vote, thanks to the 19th Amendment. The Pittsburgh Suffrage Centennial Committee is a nonpartisan initiative that highlights the history of the suffrage movement in Western Pennsylvania, while simultaneously working for present day voter registration and election participation.

In this episode, we chat with the committee’s chairwoman, Eliza Smith Brown, about some of the ways that Pittsburgh’s suffragists influenced the larger, national suffrage movement, and draw distinct parallels to current affairs. Learn about: the Justice Bell, which traveled the state, silent until women had the right to vote; the all-female issue of The Pittsburgh Sun newspaper which went to print on Feb. 29, 1912; and how the 1915 World Series played a pivotal role in the suffrage movement.

To follow along with the committee’s efforts:

And remember, if you have some pertinent suffrage history squirreled away in your attic, please reach out to the Pittsburgh Suffrage Centennial Committee.

Happy trails to you

3 Rivers Outdoor Co. and Golden Triangle Bike Rental have partnered on a new Thursday evening mountain bike ride in Frick Park every week through October. If you need a mountain bike, you can rent one for the ride from Golden Triangle (rides can be modified for difficulty, although the ride is not for the complete novice). Get more details via their Facebook event.

No pandemic party plan? No problem

What you really need is help planning a socially distant picnic. Blanket & Board offers fun outdoor experiences so you can gather with family and friends. Perfect for dates, anniversaries, or small birthday parties, the ladies behind Blanket & Board will do all the work for you. Get outdoors and celebrate safely.

If you liked this episode, you might also want to press play on:

This episode was hosted by Aadam Soorma, recorded remotely, engineered and edited by Epicast Studios.

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📸 Header photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Suffrage Centennial Committee

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Stephanie Brea

Stephanie Brea

Stephanie has been organizing events since 1998, starting with a series of motorcycle rides through the Arizona desert to support her father’s business. She’s probably crossed your name off a presale ticket list or served you a beer somewhere around town.

An undergrad degree in poetry means she has lots of unpractical knowledge about iambic pentameter, while a brief stint as a copy editor for Alternative Press taught her that twenty one pilots is stylized in all lowercase letters.

Wanna throw a party in a vacant parking lot? She’s interested.

At the onset of COVID-19, Stephanie took on the role of podcast producer for The Slaw. She’s pretty familiar with a microphone, thanks to that aforementioned poetry degree, and she’s got the wherewithal to ask Epicast Studios for help. She listens to too many true crime podcasts, and currently records from her bedroom.

If you know of someone who would be the perfect podcast guest, send her an email.

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Download the Very Local app to stream all of the Very Local original series for FREE!