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Women's Equality Day is celebrated every Aug. 26 in the U.S. This day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting the right to vote to all women. The Amendment was first proposed in 1878 but did not pass the House and Senate until 1919. It took another 15 months before it was ratified, to finally become law in 1920; this Amendment changed Federal Law and the face of the American electorate forever. Aug. 26 is also known as Women's Suffrage Day. Women's Equality Day is all about celebrating equal rights, but it is important to note that when women first won the right to vote more than a century ago, equal rights were not so equal. A fight for equality on the surface had more than a few racist caveats tacked on. African American women, though often overlooked, engaged in significant and political reform efforts leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. From the earliest years of the suffrage movement, black women worked side by side with white suffragists. But by the late 19th century, as the suffrage movement splintered because of the issue of race in the years after the Civil War, black women formed their own organizations to continue their efforts to secure the rights of black women, and black men. In 1896, the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) was founded with a motto of "Lifting As We Climb." Unfortunately, some states continued to pass laws that discriminated against African Americans that limited their rights to a fair and equal voting process. But because they were "hungry for their rights," tens of thousands of African American women and men, worked for several decades to secure their voting rights, and, in 1965, the Voting Rights Act passed. As we commemorate the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, we honor the brave heroes who tore down the barriers that prevented women from voting as they used their voices in the fight for equality. It would be impossible to thank all of those who fought in the suffrage movement, so on this Women's Equality day we honor six heroic figures in the Women's suffrage movement. Sojourner Truth; Frances Watkins Harper, Susan B. Anthony, Mary Church Terrell, and Frederick Douglass. For information regarding the African American Cultural Club and upcoming events, you may contact Ms. Wanda Valentine, President, at (951) 544-1606. ~ Jacqueline White 40 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | AUGUST 2023 In last month's Breeze article I could not say which team prevailed in the Matzoh Balls and Meatballs competition, Well now we have the results. The Meatballs won beating the Matzoh Balls in a closely contested competition. It was great fun watching the star athletes from both teams competing in bocce ball, corn hole, water balloon toss, and the team race balancing a golf ball on a spoon. Lots of laughs, camaraderie, and great friendship between the competing teams. Barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers, along with lots of side dishes, were prepared after the competition was over. Both teams got lucky weather-wise because it was cool all day and rained after the competition was over. The July meeting of the Italian American Club on July 13, 2023 at The Courts found our club enjoying a potluck, but as an extra treat, the Happy Camper Food Truck was selling gelato from 6 to 8 pm. Many of our club members enjoyed the evening planned by Barbara Dipoma and her Steering Committee. The club members managed to consume a lot of the gelato made by the Happy Camper Food Truck, and also a number of residents passing The Courts during the evening stopped by and purchased gelato. It was an enjoyable evening for all who attended. The Steering Committee and Barbara are working on the August club meeting. As of this writing nothing has been finalized for the meeting at The Courts. The Italian American Club is open to all residents of Four Seasons. You do not have to be Italian to join our group or come to our meetings. We would love to have you come and visit with us. To all our members and everyone at Four Seasons, we hope we will see you soon at one of our meetings. Non Vedo L Ori Di Vederti Presto (Looking forward to seeing you soon). ~ Barbara Dipoma, (805) 377-2616 and Jerry Monahan, (951) 212-8898 Italian American Club African American Cultural Club Four Seasons Veterans Park The Veterans Club meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 11 am in the The Lodge Game Room. Please try to be there on Aug. 24. The American Flag at the Veterans Park was replaced on July 1st and the tattered one retired. It will be delivered to the Redlands Veterans Club for proper burning. August birthdays are: Aug. 4, U.S. Coast Guard Day; Aug. 7, Purple Heart Day; Aug. 16, National Airborne Day; and Aug. 29, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Birthday. At the Veterans Park, displayed flags in August are Purple Heart heroes and Man's Best Friend during the dog days of August when the dog star (Canis Major) is visible. ~ Len Tavernetti, ltavernetti@ hotmail.com

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