(Photo | Courtesy of State Rep. Cheri Helt)
Rep. Cheri Helt (R – Bend) represented the State of Oregon in the Tournament of Roses Parade (also known as the Rose Parade), walking with the Votes for Women Centennial float, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of women’s suffrage. On New Year’s Day, Rep. Helt walked with the First 36 Coalition, representing the states that ratified the 19th Amendment, effectively recognizing women’s right to vote in the United States. Oregon was the 25th state to ratify the 19th Amendment on January 14 of 1920. The host, Pasadena Celebrates 2020, is an initiative under the National Women’s History Alliance, a charitable organization dedicated to the goals of women’s education, empowerment, equality and inclusion.
“I am proud to stand on the shoulders of the brave women who fought to ensure that our voices and votes were heard and counted. As an Oregon elected official and mother of two daughters, it was especially gratifying to represent Bend and Oregon in remembering and celebrating Women’s Suffrage before a national New Year’s Day audience,” said Helt.
The Women’s Suffrage movement dates back to the 19th century when a woman’s right to vote and run for office was not recognized in the United States. With the courage of women’s rights movements throughout the country, on August 18 of 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, prohibiting states and the Federal Government from denying U.S. Citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex.
Annually, the Tournament of Roses Parade attracts more than 700,000 live spectators with nearly 93 million viewers worldwide. The Votes for Women Centennial float featured a 30-foot-tall Statue of Liberty wearing a suffrage sash, holding a tablet of the 19th Amendment. The float was followed by 100 women dressed in white, re-enacting a traditional suffrage parade.
Helt added, “100 years ago, Sylvia Thompson was the only woman in the Oregon State Legislature; today I am proud to be one of the 29 women in the House of Representatives using our voice and our vote to represent the people of Oregon.”
This year’s theme for the 2020 Tournament of Roses Parade was The Power of Hope.
oregonlegislature.gov/helt • Rep.CheriHelt@oregonlegislature.gov
