Seen in Natomas: Demonstrators Get Out the Vote

Natomas Garden and Arts Club members were joined by a few other community members on the corner of West El Camino and Truxel Road on Saturday. / Photo courtesy Amie Tokuhama

BY THE NATOMAS BUZZ STAFF
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

Modern day activists, some in costume, took to Natomas streets over the weekend to commemorate the 109th anniversary of a woman’s right to vote in California.

Groups of demonstrators peacefully gathered at the intersections of West El Camino and Truxel Road and West El Camino and Northgate Boulevard dressed in suffragist colors of purple, white and gold for about two hours on Saturday, Oct. 10. They also held “vote” signs meant to encourage all Sacramentans to get to the polls.

Grace Cody, Patrick Cody and Annette Emery demonstrated at the corner of West El Camino and Northgate Boulevard. / Photo courtesy Annette Emery

The regional event recalled efforts of the Silent Sentinels, also known as the Sentinels of Liberty, who peacefully demonstrated in front of the White House for a woman’s right to vote from 1917 to 1919.

On Oct. 10, 1911, California became the sixth state where women could vote equally with men, nine years before the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote nationally.

This Silent Sentinel event was the brainchild of Diana Madoshi of the National Women’s History Alliance and is a ‘call to action’ organized by such diverse groups as Capital Women’s Campaign, the Renaissance Society of Sacramento 19th Amendment Committee, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum.

Silent Sentinels demonstrations were also staged at corners surrounding the state capitol, at the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, in Oak Park, South Sacramento, Rocklin, Folsom, Auburn and Elk Grove.

Gail Patrice encourages Sacramentans to vote at the corner of West El Camino and Northgate Boulevard. / Photo courtesy Annette Emery