Celebrating The 19th Amendment And The First Safe Haven Hostel For Women – Forbes

Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1899. Two pioneers in the Equal Rights cause.

This August marks the centennial of the passing of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which reads, 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. It was an extremely difficult battle; at the time, married women could not own property and had no legal claim to any money they might earn. No female had the right to vote. Women were expected to focus on housework and motherhood.

Members of the American National Woman Suffrage Association marching from Pennsylvania Terminal to ... [+] their headquarters after welcoming home Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the Association on her arrival from Tennessee.

Beginning in the 1820s, even before the Civil War, reform groups began to grow throughout the United States including temperance leagues, the abolitionist movement and religious groups. In 1848, thesuffragemovement began as awomen'srights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York. More than 300 people, mostly women, took part, but a few men attended as well, including activist Frederick Douglas.

It was there thatSusan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and otherwomen'srights pioneers (known assuffragists)circulated petitions and lobbied Congress to pass a constitutional amendment to enfranchisewomen.

A group of women's rights activists meeting at the Hotel Figueroa, formerly one of the first female ... [+] hostels in America.

This August also marks the 94th anniversary of one of the nations first-ever female hostelries, the Hotel Figueroa in Downtown Los Angeles, an enduring, collaborative safe haven for women. From the battle for womens rights to the current global pandemic,HotelFigueroahas served as a backdrop for some of the most challenging and memorable moments in American history, a representative of both the endurance of women and the City of Angels entrepreneurial, creative, and resilient spirit.

Originally opened in 1926 as an exclusive womens hostel by the YWCA, Hotel Figueroa was, according the Los Angeles Times, the largest project of its kind in the United States to be financed, owned, and operated by women. It was advertised as an ideal stopping place for ladies unattended. The first managing director was Maude N. Bouldin, the first female hotel manager in America who regularly flew planes, rode motorcycles, and openly challenged the gender norms that often kept women from achieving their full potential. Under her leadership, the space served as a meeting place for almost every woman's club in Los Angeles.

Earlier days at the pool of the Hotel Figueroa

The HotelFigueroa continues its rich history deeply rooted in the Los Angeles womens movement. Today, the majority of the boutique hotel's staff is female. Signs of Maude Bouldin and the women of the YWCA can be seen throughout the hotel including a large portrait hanging in the hotels lobby of Maude Bouldin on a motorcycle. The Grande Salle, the hotel's private event room, includes vintage photographs of the women of the YWCA. Over an original fireplace is the famous YMCA triangle relic, indicating female strength and power, a symbol of the YWCA hotel for women.

Exotic Exterior lounge of Hotel Figueroa

This year the iconic Figueroa Hotel is celebrating a year-long Featured Artist Seriespartnershipshowcasing the works of local independent female artists. This fall, Featured Artist, Stephanie DeAngelis will make her debut with an art collection tied tospiritually connecting folks from all walks of life in these times of social isolation.

Hotel Figueroa is open and implementing strict social distancing/safety policies. It is one of the firstClean+SafeCertifiedhotels by theCalifornia Hotel+Lodging Association including rigorouscleaning and sanitization of guest rooms and public spaces, UV sterilizer technology,face masks required indoors, outdoor pool lounge chairs spaced six+feet apart,and fresh towels placed on fully sanitized chairs between uses.

The iconic Hotel Figueroa is an ideal place to celebrate 100 years of the passing of the 19th Amendment, where so many brave women fought for its passage.

The pool at the iconic Hotel Figueroa, where there are now as many men as woman.

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Celebrating The 19th Amendment And The First Safe Haven Hostel For Women - Forbes