Today marks the 89th anniversary of the day that American women finally secured the right to vote. On Aug. 26, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which provides that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Since 1971, every President has proclaimed Aug 26 “Women’s Equality Day,” following a resolution first put forward by Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY) – a leader of the modern women’s rights movement.

The addition of the Nineteenth Amendment is a vivid illustration of the progressive history of our founding document. Over the past 200-plus years, We the People have modified and strengthened the Constitution to better protect the fundamental rights of all Americans. Like the Fifteenth Amendment, the Nineteenth Amendment was critical in extending the right to vote to millions of disenfranchised Americans, following the courageous efforts of suffragists in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. Today, we are honoring not only those who fought to secure women’s suffrage, but also the progressive promise of the Constitution itself, which is proven each day through our country’s continuing strides toward gender equality.