Past Events

Cherry Blossom Parade
April 12, 2008
What a thrill to march down Constitution Avenue with our very own Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton in the Cherry Blossom Parade. A few early showers did not deter us, nor did a position to the rear of the parade. Let’s just say our representative may not have a vote in Congress, but she knows how to get things done in Washington! We passed out candy and carried signs and banners, but were discouraged from shouting or singing, so our silent march-and-wave was a new kind of protest that we all enjoyed. Thanks for inviting us to this fun and unforgettable event!

Kids Research Project
November 15, 2007
The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) spoke with the Young Suffragists about research. CIRCLE promotes research on the civic and political engagement of American youth and is part of the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy. Their youth coordinator came to Janney to help the kids think about how to conduct a successful research project that furthers our mission. We came up with many terrific ideas which we hope to implement over the next year. Thanks, CIRCLE!

Shadow Senator Q&A
October 19, 2007
Thanks to DC Shadow Senator (and Janney dad) Mike Brown for visiting the Young Suffragists to talk about what a shadow senator does, why DC has them, and how he got the job. He answered kids’ questions about the future of democracy in DC and what we can do to help make it better.

Becoming a US Citizen
September 2007
We had a terrific meeting in September with a guest speaker/dad about why and how he became a US citizen, followed by an inspiring field trip to a monthly naturalization ceremony: 32 new citizens from 23 countries, plus a request from the League of Women Voters to help work to gain representation for the District of Columbia.

June 2007

On the morning of Friday, June 15th, the DC Young Suffragists gathered for the annual kids’ White House Rally for DC Democracy. The end of the school-year event is always exciting and informative for the Young Suffragists—and great fun for the parents too! A ranger from the National Park Service spoke with our rally participants about their rights and responsibilities as protesters—why there are rules, what those rules are and who the rules are for. Toddlers to teens had their voices heard, chowed on snacks, and learned about democracy and expression in action!

The next day, Saturday, June 16th, Young Suffragists in Los Gatos, California and in Washington, DC and members of the League of Women Voters held a 15-second, simultaneous bi-coastal shout out for DC voting rights: "I Scream for Senators!" All that separated them was 3000 miles. Two cell phones, ice cream sandwiches, and a shared concern for equal rights for kids in DC brought them together. Oh, and a bunch of screamin’ kids!

See this article for more info.

Local Government in Action

We had a terrific adventure to the Wilson Building on Tuesday, March 4 to learn about the Mayor and the DC Council. Chairman Gray's Chief of Staff Dawn Slonneger spoke with the suffragists about the history of the building, the role of the Chairman, and a little history of home rule for the District. We enjoyed the beautiful office of the Chairman – formerly the appointed Commissioner's office before the days of elected mayors. She also reminded us about the Chairman's new youth hearings held the second Saturday of each month, where children as young as five have presented their ideas to the Council.

Next we visited the Council in session and watched as Councilmember Mary Cheh explained to the kids and to her fellow Councilors her new legislation about hot dog vendor carts – an issue near and dear to the stomachs of Young Suffragists on after school field trips!

We had to skip out early before the vote to meet with Mayor Fenty in the Bullpen – what a contrast to the Mayor's office visit three years ago. Mayor Fenty's desk is surrounded by low-walled cubicles filled with his top staff members. He spoke with the Young Suffragists and even braved a few tough questions from the kids.

Special thanks to our Shadow Senator Mike Brown who led us through the building and also gave us a bonus tour of his humble office. When compared to the offices on the Hill, we all get a sense of where DC stands as far as the senate is concerned! But if anyone can get the job done, it's these children! DC flags were waving all the way home – thanks to terrific staff and our hard-working elected officials, supportive parents and our bright young suffragists for making these outings fun, informative and inspiring. –Jenny & Jane

Two, Four, Six, Eight — Who Do We Appreciate??

The Awesome Congresswoman Norton and Her Outstanding Staff

Big thanks to our own Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton for spending her busy afternoon with the D.C Young Suffragists on Thursday, February 28th. She and her staff went above and beyond and gave our participants an amazing behind the scenes tour of the U.S. Capitol.

A crew of about 30 Young Suffragists arrived in Rep. Norton’s office and were enthusiastically greeted by Enrique Fernández Roberts who works very hard for the Congresswoman and for the people of DC! The Congresswoman quickly joined us and talked at length with the Young Suffragists about the status of her voting rights bill, the Senate and its 2/3 majority rules and the D.C. quarter.

The Young Suffragists went on a grand tour of the Capitol led by the Congresswoman herself. She granted us access to a cool subway ride and to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives! After saying a warm goodbye to Rep. Norton, Enrique led us through Statuary Hall, the Rotunda and engaged our crew with exciting facts about our beautiful Capitol building.

Many thanks to all of our participants who asked great questions -- to our parents who came along …..and most importantly to Rep. Norton and her staff who work so very hard for the residents of the District each day (and who really made our D.C. Young Suffragists field trip so very special).

Guest Reporter: Sofia, age 9

September 21, 2007 / Janney Elementary School Library / Washington, DC
At our most recent Young Suffragists meeting, we read VOTE!. It talked about voting parties and the steps it takes to become Mayor. After that, Mr. Malhotra talked about growing up in a different country and then moving to the United States of America and becoming a citizen here. Then, Chloe read her “10 who are 10” story, and everyone loved it.

2006-2007 DC Program

March 9, 3.30pm @ Janney. We will be holding a meeting of the DC Young Suffragists on Friday, March 9th at Janney Elementary School, 3:30 pm for about 45 minutes.  Our guest speaker, Mark David Richards will talk with our group about the history of DC and the Emancipation Proclamation.   We will also be reading the postcards that kids in California sent us! and we will have time at the end of the meeting to write them back -- they have a lot of good questions for us and about our beautiful city.

Please join us -- bring your friends and come learn more about how special your city is!

We will meet in the Cybrary -- and snacks will be provided!  Really looking forward to seeing lots of you on Friday!

Contact: info@youngsuffragists.org

Friday, December 1
Coach Mac visits Young Suffragists

Thanks to all the returning families AND all the new families who joined us at Janney Elementary School for the first DC Young Suffragists meeting for the 2006/2007 school year! What a crowd of enthusiastic, smart young people!

We were pleased to be joined by John McCarthy aka Coach Mac -- proud alum of Janney Elementary School, teacher at Wilson High School, and founder of Homerun Baseball. It was fun and interesting to hear from this dynamic community leader about growing up in Washington, DC and about his thoughts on what makes DC such an extraordinary place. He had great words of praise and encouragement for the DC Young Suffragists! At the end of the meeting we wrote postcards to kids in California telling them about what makes our city special. These CA kids will be participating in a League of Women Voters sponsored activity (run by our founder Jane Varner Malhotra) in Northern California designed to inform them about the District of Columbia and our lack of voting representation!

Special thanks to the Leape family and the Malhotra family for bringing snacks, to our principal Scott Cartland for helping us secure a space for our meeting, to our super-cybrarians for graciously letting us use their space, to Coach Mac for joining us, to all our new friends who came and participated -- and especially to all our Young Suffragists who listened attentively and asked super questions of our guest!

Coach Mac bio
John McCarthy is a native Washingtonian and product of the DC Public Schools and Police Boys and Girls clubs. After graduating from Wilson HS he attended the University of South Alabama, Enterprise JC and Troy (AL) University earning a degree in journalism. He signed a free agent contract with the Orioles and played for their rookie league team in Sarasota. In 1994 he created Home Run Baseball Camp. The camp has taught thousands of youngsters and the majority of coaches on staff are former campers. Returning to his alma mater, John has been teaching the Alternatives to Violence course at Wilson HS since 1994 and in 1998 was awarded the Ray A. Kroc Teacher Award. The course studies the successes of such Hall of Fame Peacemakers as Mandela, King, Day, Gandhi and Schweitzer.

In Northern California

January – June, 2007 – Kids DC Democracy Project

Stories of Democracy
In Saratoga, California in January 2007, we held a family story-time featuring books about the House and Senate, and what it’s like to live in Washington, DC. Then the 75 kids, parents and grandparents wrote postcards to children in DC about California and our senators, questions about life in the capital, pets, sports, etc. The event coincided with the swearing in of new members of US House and Senate in Washington, DC.

Democracy-in-Action Field Trips

In March, we went on four fun field trips.

1. San Jose City Hall
A docent-led tour of the new San Jose City Hall included an opportunity to be in the audience of a City Council meeting. During the tour, children learned about the history of San Jose, local artists and prominent San Jose citizens, and enjoyed the rare opportunity to go up to the top of the rotunda. Thanks to SJ City Hall volunteers who took us on an unforgettable tour.

2. Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters
This behind-the-scenes tour offered kids a first-hand look at the voting process. Children got to try punch-card voting (hanging chads!), saw petitions in process, learned about the evolution of voting machines, as well as the special challenges and tech-savvy solutions unique to Santa Clara County at the epicenter of elections, the Registrar of Voters office. Thanks ROV staff for staying late and accommodating all our questions!

3. New Citizens Induction Ceremony
At the Heritage Theatre in Campbell, California, children witnessed the inspiring monthly ceremony as hundreds of Santa Clara County residents took the oath of citizenship to become naturalized citizens of the United States. We observed new citizens from the morning ceremony registering to vote and learning about political parties in the carnival-like atmosphere outside the Campbell Heritage Theatre.

4. Meeting with Congressman Honda
Around 40 of us packed the local office for a fun meeting with this former school principal, now our Representative in the US Congress. We learned all about the important job of representative, what the Congressman thinks about getting a vote for DC, and how he works to help the people of Santa Clara County be heard in Washington. Thanks to Congressman Honda and his terrific staff for an informative and enjoyable afternoon!

In April, the Kids Leadership Team toured Saratoga City Hall. It was a fascinating contrast to the big-city operations in San Jose. Staff greeted the kids at every turn with cool knick-knacks and a friendly explanation of their department functions: business licenses, roads, building permits, public safety. Then the CA Young Suffragists met to plan their vision for the Kids Democracy Day in May.

KIDS’ DEMOCRACY DAY

On Saturday, May 5, 2007, in Campbell, California, over 100 children of all ages and their families gathered to celebrate democracy with the League of Women Voters and the California Young Suffragists. The fun-filled festival gave kids the chance to meet the mayor of Campbell, tour the city council chambers, try the latest electronic voting machines, meet a Superior Court judge, make their own buttons, read stories about making a difference, try a real citizenship test, give a speech for a YouTube video about active citizenship and voting rights, read postcards from kids in DC and CA about helping each other to be heard, learn about the importance of representation, paint posters, eat popcorn and cake, and find out what to do when life gives you lemons! What a blast (who knew civics was so entertaining?!) – endless thanks to our enthusiastic volunteers from the community, the League of Women Voters, and the Young Suffragists who helped make this day so memorable.

The DC Democracy Project was made possible through the generous support of the Southwest Santa Clara Valley League of Women Voters, the US League of Women Voters Education Fund, and the Government of the District of Columbia.

Friday, June 16, 2006
Kids' Rally at the White House!

9-10:30 am, Lafayette Square
Don't miss this fantastically fun activity. Here is a chance for the Young Suffragists' voices to be heard: kid's parade, speeches, and singing. (And of course, snacks!)

We will be joined this year by staff from the National Park Service who will speak with our young ralliers about the first amendment, about their rights as protesters, and the rules for protesting at the White House. They will also provide a little background about the protests held by the women suffragists.

Folks are coming from far and wide to participate—Malhotras from California—and others too. This is a fun way to put the concepts that our kids have learned about democracy and civic responsibility to good use. So please, mark your calendars and spread the word. We look forward to sharing your creative expression on the 26th of May and your loud, proud voices on the 16th of June.

Friday, May 26, 2006

DC Young Suffragists meeting and banner painting in preparation for our year end event in June. The meeting will be held at Janney Elementary, 4120 Albemarle, from 3:30-4:15pm. Some supplies will be available—bring more to share if you can!

April 2006—Embassy of Belgium

Our April DC Young Suffragists event was well attended—and great fun. About 20 folks joined us at the Embassy of Belgium to learn about democracy in that country! Our visit was super informative (did you know that Tin Tin was Belgian?? and that one should never ask for french fries in Brussels). A zillion thanks to Han, dad of 3rd grader Gorka for arranging such a special event.

March 2006—Sewall Belmont House and Museum

The DC Young Suffragists visited the Sewall Belmont House for a special hands-on learning program about women's leadership, the suffrage movement, the equal rights movement, civil rights, and activism. We learned how women won the right to vote, then made our own protest banners. The kids experienced firsthand the story of women's heroism by seeing rare original photographs, books, and newspapers from the time period.

Thanks to the museum for continuing to support our programs, share their inspiring stories of struggle, and help relate them to our effort. For more information about the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, visit www.sewallbelmont.org.

Palisades Parade

Monday, July 4, 2005

The DC Young Suffragists are planning to march again in this year's Palisades Parade. Let's hope for good weather this year! Watch this space for details on what to wear and where/when to meet.

Equal Voting Rights for DC Parade & Rally

Friday, July 1, 2005
12 noon, Freedom Plaza, 1351 Pennsylvania Ave.

Please join the DC Young Suffragists and dozens of other pro-DC Democracy groups* for a festive parade and rally at Freedom Plaza Friday, July 1 beginning at 12 noon. Boys, girls, women and men, dogs, turtles--everyone come, bring your musical instruments, signs and costumes, and get ready to march for equal voting rights and full democracy for DC.

International leaders, who are beginning to take note of DC citizen's lack of voice in our national government, will be in town for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), giving us a unique opportunity to show our discontent to the world. OSCE members, whose conference will take place next to Freedom Plaza at the Marriott Hotel, have questioned why DC residents are not climbing the walls, not rallying in the streets, not visibly showing our desire for full democratic rights. If we don't care, why should they? Let's rise to the challenge, bring our friends and family, and fill Freedom Plaza with our united cry for democracy right here in the nation's capital. For more info, see www.osceindc.com.

* Groups include: DCVote, DC League of Women Voters, DC Statehood Green Party, DC Democratic State Committee, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, World Rights, Stand Up! for Democracy in DC, Committee for the Capital City, Shadow Senator Paul Strauss, DC Democracy Fund, Black Reparations, DC Peace and Economic Justice Program

2005 DC Young Suffragist Summer Camp

This year's theme: Exploring Solutions to Bring Democracy to DC

• Program Schedule
• Photos & Kids Reviews
• Register for Programs

Senator Edward Kennedy (MA) receives heaps of homemade valentines from excited DC Young Suffragists.

2005 Valentine's Day on the Hill ("Let them eat cake!?")

The tireless DC Young Suffragists delivered dozens of valentines and cupcakes to offices of 30 different US Senators on Monday, February 14. Over 20 children from five DC area schools participated, visiting Senators from states where family and friends live. Many of the children made the appointments themselves in the weeks before our visit. Warmly received by friendly senate staffers, the Suffragists signed guestbooks, learned what Senators and their "helpers" do for their home states, and met with Senator Edward Kennedy, who explained why DC residents need representation, too!

Highlights included visiting Senator Kennedy's historic office, meeting his dogs (and of course Sen. Kennedy), interviews with Tokyo Radio, passing out delicious CakeLove cupcakes, and meeting all those nice schedulers who took our calls over the past few weeks. Many staffers invited suffragists into conference rooms for official Q&A sessions, and were impressed by the dedication and desire the children had for their full democratic rights. "They treated us like grown-ups, which was cool," noted one Young Suffragist.

The kids are confident that, after one of those yummy buttercream-frosted cupcakes, the Senators will be personally calling us to come back again and again. Next time we do it, we'll: order a cake for ourselves, enlist more kids so we can hit all 100 offices, order a cake for ourselves, and well, um, order a cake for ourselves!

A special thanks to all the parents who carried coats, cupcakes, and babies on our Hill visit. While the Young Suffragists did the real work, we know it wouldn't be possible without the dedicated support, the transportation, and the smiles that parents provided.

Staffmember from the office of Senator Jay Rockefeller (WV) discusses the important work of senators with a DC Young Suffragist who is the son of native West Virginians.

DC Young Suffragists Hit the Airwaves

Friday, February 11, two 5th graders spoke on Mark Plotkin's Politics Hour on WTOP (www.wtop.com). They gracefully and intelligently handled challenging questions on the issue of democracy for DC and what kids can do to make a difference. Congrats to Noura and Zoe for spreading the word about our efforts on live radio! They both made it very clear that they will be voting for a representative and two senators in 2012, by the time they are 18. Yikes! We have work to do! Click here to download and listen to the full interview (6.5 mb MP3 file).

Valentine's Day Prep Workshop

Dozens of suffragists packed in to DC Vote's U Street office Feb. 13 to learn about what to expect at the Senate offices, and to make valentines for their selected Senators. Smelling of chocolate cake, Warren Brown, owner of CakeLove next door, dropped over to say hello and thanks to the kids for working to help the community. Thank you Warren for your generous donation of 30 "Be Mine" cupcakes plus a big cake for our Special Senator, too. And a Big Thanks to DC Vote for once again sponsoring our spiffy new Young Suffragist t-shirts!

Democra-Palooza Rocks DC!

Saturday, December 4, 2004
Kids went into action Saturday to learn about DC's lack of voting rights and help fix it! Over 40 members of the DC Young Suffragists, ages 4-12, representing a dozen public and private schools in DC and Maryland, wrote songs, made buttons and posters, and wrote postcards to friends in other states explaining the problem and asking for help.

On a postcard from a seven-year-old in DC to her cousin in Minnesota, one Young Suffragist explained, "Dear Nathan, I want to tell you about DC. We can not vote for a senator. We do not have one. Please help us. P.S. To learn more, write back." Button slogans included "We want a senator! Please" and "Go DC!"

Thanks to JW Marriott and Wardman Park Marriott Hotels here in DC for donating 100 beautiful postcards of Washington. A big thanks to our volunteers from GW for the patience and help with song-writing, button-making, set-up and clean-up. Thanks to the West End Library staff for providing such a great big space, and to DC Vote and the Sewall-Belmont House for teaching us more about modern and historic struggles for democracy.

And thanks to kids and parents for all your hard work at Democra-Palooza! to help make a difference in our community.

2004 DC Young Suffragists Camp

The 2nd Annual Young Suffragists Camp featured four all new programs: unique, action-oriented, parent-child workshops open to boys and girls ages 5-12.

Sitting for Change

Monday, July 12, 2004
American History Museum
We learned about the civil rights movement and youth-led passive resistance. We saw the exhibit featuring the actual Woolworths counter where the sit-ins for integration for began. The museum curator discussed non-violent protest and how the efforts of a few determined souls changed a nation

City Council Visit & Mayor's Office Tour

Australia's Story

Action! Senator Barbie, Protester Barbie

Young Suffragists' Tea Party Rally

Thursday, May 6, 2004

Nearly 30 children led families and friends on a march in front of the White House today to rally for DC voting rights. For these DC area schoolchildren, the raucous tea party and protest wraps up a year of programs celebrating civic responsibility and community action.

Many of the DC Young Suffragists delivered their first public speeches, standing on the speaker's platform/tea table and addressing peers, parents, and passers-by. The children repeatedly demanded no less than two Senators and a voting Congresswoman for DC.

"Kids across the rest of America have full representation. So what are WE? Chopped LIVER?!" cried a 9-year-old boy from Washington. The audience of 5 to 12-year-olds whooped and hollered, rose to their feet and paraded around Lafayette Park shouting, "What do we want? Senators! When do we want 'em? NOW!" Curious eighth-graders from New Jersey, New York, and Alaska came through on bus tours, as their delighted teachers explained the crazy predicament of DC's disenfranchised children.

"What a terrific way to show children how to make a difference," exclaimed one teacher. "It's encouraging to see such enthusiasm over civics!"

As the rally began, the children used colorful sidewalk chalk to start writing pro-senator slogans. The fast-approaching Park Ranger quickly put an end to their fun, however, explaining that chalk-writing on the sidewalk is considered defacing government property. Even when it's five-year-olds! She went over the park permit with the children, explaining various regulations and safety restrictions, and kindly answered all their questions. Upon request, a nearby park policeman showed the wide-eyed children some handcuffs, and he and the ranger explained the concept of civil disobedience.

The DC Young Suffragists worked hard to prepare for the rally. They painted all their own signs and banners, decorated their t-shirts, and wrote their own slogans, speeches, and songs. Over the past eight months, they have learned first-hand about the great achievements of the women suffragists, the founding of Washington, the unusual status of DC residents, the duties of the US Congress, the history of marching on Washington, how the media can convey a message, and the role of the Park Service in protecting first amendment rights to assemble and speak freely.

Poster Painting

Saturday, May 1, 2004

Over 30 suffragists made banners and signs for the Tea Party Rally.

City Museum Event

Saturday, April 17, 2004

We had a terrific program Saturday at the City Museum, with ten enthusiastic young suffragists, including several new faces.

Education curator Mychalene Giampaoli presented a fascinating history of Washington rallies. We discussed the fact that the president lives here and regular people live here, too, and so Washington is a stage for both national and local issues.

We learned about the evolving regulations of marches. For example, we learned that at the time of MLK's 1963 March on Washington, protester signage had to be pre-approved and professionally printed.

Erik Smulson led the kids in a conversation about the media, what to include in a press release, and who we could invite to our rally. Young Suffragists suggested everything from the Mystics to the Mayor. As they worked on media questions, they also began coming up with new slogans for the May 6 rally. Suddenly they had come up with a new song with a beautiful tune that will make it's debut at the rally.

Thanks to all the kids and grown-ups who helped shape another successful DC Young Suffragist event!

Presidents Day Rally at the State Department

Mondau, February 16, noon-1 pm

We held a last-minute rally with Tim Cooper of Democracy First to protest the State Department's dismissive response to the OAS ruling on DC's disenfranchisement. The OAS Commission on Human Rights concluded that the United Sates is violating international human rights law by excluding DC residents from participating in our national legislature, based solely on where we live. In addition to several adults, four cold but enthusiastic Young Suffragists participated - a big thank you to the Laguarda family! By the way, we had more police officers than protesters. Ah, Washington.

Day On The Hill

Thursday, February 12

Another fantastic, exhausting trip to the Capitol to see democracy in action! We wore our spiffy new t-shirts courtesy of DC Vote and set off many metal detectors with our new "Senators Count!" buttons. We met with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton who carved out time between hearings to answer many thoughtful questions from the DC Young Suffragists. We then met with Jim Moore of the Committee on Government Reform. A member of Congressman Davis' staff, Mr. Moore led the kids into an actual hearing where they were welcomed by the Congressman. Then onto an empty hearing room for donuts and Q&A with Mr. Moore.

A highlight for parents was the ride on the secret underground train to the Senate!

We climbed many stairs and squeezed into many elevators, making our way to the Senate Reception Room, where we smiled and waved at Senator Kennedy, Senator Byrd, and finally our #1 Senator, Jim Jeffords of Vermont. He kindly met with the senator-less Suffragists for the second time this year. He said he supports senators for Washington DC. When one 5th grader asked him, "Why do our parents pay federal tax when we don't have representation?" he smiled and admitted it was a good question. When asked what was his favorite part of his job, he said, "Meeting with nice kids like you."

Finally, special passes were made available for us to see the Senate in action. We sat as quietly as we could, anxious to cry out for senators of our own! But alas, we were polite · this time.

Thanks to all those who participated! Kindergarten: Hannah, Aya, Helen, Soledad. 1st Grade: Clara, Zoe. 2nd Grade: Nathaniel. 3rd Grade: Gareth. 4th Grade: Marisa, Noura. 5th Grade: Yiwen. 6th Grade: James.

February 12, 2004 - Meeting with Eleanor Holmes Norton

February 12, 2004 - Meeting with Senator Jim Jeffords

Hill Visit Preparation Workshop

Saturday, February 7

The Suffragists drafted questions for their congressional meetings, worked on drawings for our logo, and discussed ideas for our new website.

Other Events

October 9, 2003 - Sewall Belmont Museum comes to Janney Elementary School

October 9, 2003 - DC Young Suffragists at Janney Elementary School

August 3, 2003 - Tea Party Rally at the White House