Gettysburg resident Dora Lewis Townsend will give a presentation at noon on Thursday, November 19, on the American Suffrage Movement and the important role that her great grandmother played in that story. The program is part of the Adams County Arts Council’s 3rdthursdaynoon series and will be held via Zoom. The program is free but pre-registration is required.
Townsend’s program on Suffrage begins in July 1848 with the Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, N.Y, and culminates with the passage of the 19th Amendment in August 1920 which successfully secured the right to vote for American women.
Dora Townsend places her ancestor, Dora Kelly Lewis, in the historical context of the movement and describes the significant role she played. Through letters written from prison and other first-person accounts, Townsend relates an incredible story of courage, commitment, and perseverance in the face of physical violence, anger, and public efforts to hurt and humiliate the women who championed the cause.
Dora Lewis Townsend is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. She has lived in Adams County since 1973. She has an undergraduate degree in Communications (Boston University) and a master’s degree in Spirituality and Healthcare (Chestnut Hill College). She has served on numerous community boards and committees.
Dora’s interest in her great grandmother Dora Kelly Lewis’ s story began several years ago when she realized she was in possession of original source material from which she could develop a program with a unique and very personalized perspective of the American Suffrage Movement.
The virtual 3rdthursdaynoon series continues December 17 with a program by Sue Hill and Carolyn George about nationally recognized author and “Gettysburg’s First Lady” Elsie Singmaster.
The mission of the Adams County Arts Council is to cultivate an arts-rich community. To register for the program or for information about Arts Council’s classes at the Arts Education Center, 125 S. Washington St., Gettysburg, contact aa@adamsarts.org, call (717) 334-5006, or visit www.adamsarts.org.