The Owensboro Museum of Science and History will soon open a new exhibit honoring local women who fought for the right to vote. “Voices of Women: Owensboro and the Struggle for Women’s Equal Rights” will be unveiled on Women’s Equality Day on August 26.
The unveiling will take place at 5 p.m. in the Mammoth Lobby of the museum. The exhibit’s opening coincides with a special community celebration presented by the Owensboro Chapter of the AAUW, the Daviess County Bar Association, the City of Owensboro, and the Daviess County Fiscal Court.
The exhibit will remain on display through the end of the year.
Event organizers said “Voices of Women” tells the story of the fight for suffrage in Owensboro and Daviess County through rare photographs, detailed archival research, and compelling personal narratives. Visitors can discover the individuals, organizations, and movements that shaped the fight for women’s rights in the area.
Aloma Dew, historian for the Owensboro AAUW, emphasized the importance of remembering and continuing this legacy:
“Kentucky finally ratified the 19th Amendment on January 6, 1921, but our state was at the forefront of the movement for women’s suffrage — not just in the South, but nationwide,” Dew said. “By 1921, there were 500-600 members of the Daviess County Woman’s Suffrage Association, including many men. When women and men work together, good things happen.”
The museum invites the community to join in commemorating this milestone, viewing the new exhibit, and honoring the contributions of local suffrage leaders.
Museum Director Isaac Settle said the exhibit is unlike anything they’ve presented before.
“It weaves together the lives of local suffrage leaders, the organizations that championed equality, and newly uncovered historical details into one complete story of Owensboro’s role in the fight for women’s rights,” he said. “Even though sources on this topic were limited, our team’s in-depth research and persistence brought to light a richer, more connected history. It has been a privilege to bring this important chapter of Owensboro’s past to life for the community.”
Dew added that it’s important to continue advocating for the importance of voting.
“That’s what we want women to do today — vote, think, and recognize that this is a privilege, a right, and an obligation,” she said. “I have a shirt that says, ‘Voting is my super power,’ and indeed it is.”
