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May 2023
Juneteenth Votercade
The League of Women Voters was honored to be one of the anchor sponsors and participants on the Transformative Justice Freedom Ride to support voting in Florida. The votercade harkened back to the days of the Freedom Riders who risked their lives to help African American people vote in the South. Today, the threats of police attacks, vicious dogs and lynchings have been replaced by legislation that is making it harder for eligible voters to cast their ballot - particularly those from traditionally underrepresented or underserved communities, including first-time voters, non-college youth, new citizens, communities of color, the elderly, the handicapped, and low-income Americans to vote.
Our local League had voter registration and a speaker at the stops in Ocala and Leesburg. (We also had a little time to enjoy the other activities - including line dancing.
Our local League had voter registration and a speaker at the stops in Ocala and Leesburg. (We also had a little time to enjoy the other activities - including line dancing.
About 200 Lake County residents as well as LWVTRI welcomed the freedom riders as they arrived on a rainy Tuesday.
Mary and Martha, from LWVTRI and NAACP, not only worked the event, they found some time to line dance.
As a co-sponsor of the event, LWVFL, had one of their volunteers, Demetrius, riding on the bus and capturing the speakers at each stop along the way.
In Ocala LWVTRI and one of our Tri-County Partners, Alpha Kappa Alpha, registered voters and gather Pledge Cards so we could notify them when we publish our voter guide on Vote411.
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When the buses arrived in Ocala there was a torrential downpour. Still Marion county residents turned out in large numbers.
We love the mom's who register to voter with their daughters in tow. Start modeling the importance of voting when they are young.
One of our Tri-County Partners, the Tri-City NAACP, drew a large crowd at the table at the Leesburg stop.
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April 2023
Tri-County Partners
On April 25 LWVTRI called an organizing meeting of organizations within the Tri-County area that share similar goals of empowering voters: AAUW (American Association of University Women), Alpha Kappa Alpha, All About The Ballots, Baha'i Spiritual Assembly, Changing Hearts, Eta Tau Omega, NAACP, Pan-Hellenic Council, and Racial Healing Study Group.
September 2022
Meet & Greet with LWVFL President, Cecile Scoon
In September LWVTRI invited local organizations, with whom we share a common purpose, to an event where we could learn about each other's efforts to empower voters. Florida's LWV President, Cecile Scoon, was our guest speaker. Leaders from the following organizations attended
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2022 Standing on Their Shoulders:
LWVTRI was one of a diverse group of organizations from The Villages and neighboring communities that called ourselves the Sisters of Suffrage (SOS.) We collaborated to celebrate the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment and educate others about the contributions of American women.
The celebration was originally planned for 2020, but we were in the middle of a pandemic that year (and the next) just like the Suffragists were as they fought for the vote. We finally had our celebration on International Women's Day on March 8, 2022.
The celebration was originally planned for 2020, but we were in the middle of a pandemic that year (and the next) just like the Suffragists were as they fought for the vote. We finally had our celebration on International Women's Day on March 8, 2022.
League members Bernadette Aley, Barbara Fieldman, Dee Melvin and Jeannie Hamilton proudly carried our banner. That's our Suffragent, Phil Grayber, in the background.
Jeannie Hamilton and Mary Kay Rosinski have logged a lot of hours lately staffing our League table at events.
Mary Schulz, Rosella Valentine, and Beth Hicks were active members of SOS. Beth was co-chair of this event.
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The Village Chicks, Cassandra Barrett and Rhonda House, posed with Debra Wanza Dabney, of Delta Sigma Theta, before the program began.
Catina Stephens from Southern Christian Leadership Foundation performed "Stand Up" with a talented member from a Marion County High School dance team.
We didn't need Aretha when we had the vocal talent of Tanya Wilder asking for a little Respect.
Our thanks to Jill Moss Greenburg, Chair of the event, and the visionary who drew together the Sisters of Suffrage.
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Many participants not only wore Suffragist attire, but carried signs detailing the work yet to be done.
Dorothy Dobbs, from the AAUW, was Program Chair, She welcomed the large crowd to Sumter Landing.
The march begins.
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The end of a fabulous tribute to the women who paved the way, the women still fighting for equality today, and the young women and girls who are our hope for the future.
2022 Uprooting Prejudice: Conversations for Change
Checking in
Ann Patton shared lessons for overcoming hate.
Stephen Poyner, Education Curator of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, explains the conversational approach successfully used by Daryl Davis, speaker and activist.
Numbers were handed out so audience members engaged in the Open Mic segment of the program
Audience members visited the display tables of groups with a diversity, equity and inclusion vision before and after the program. This display was from the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Central Florida.
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Moderator, Lou Sasmor, introduced Ann Patton, award winning journalist and author of UNMASKED: The Rise and Fall of the 1920s Ku Klux Klan
The large audience gave up their Saturday afternoon to learn ways they could make a difference.
Stephen guided the audience through an exercise in engaging in mindful conversations.
LWVTRI's Co-President, Gail Formanack, gave the closing remarks.
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2021 EqualiTea
 Katina Stephens - Regional Director of Southern Christian Leadership Foundation
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Screening of a segment of PBS's The American Experience: The Vote
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