Deciding the Future_Commemorating 100 Years of Women's Voices and Votes

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the SAG-AFTRA President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement held a special livestream event, Women’s Equality Day: A Celebration of Women’s Voices and Women’s Votes, on Aug. 25. Panelists included AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, Rock the Vote Organizing Director Jasmine Jones, and SAG-AFTRA members Tichina Arnold (The Neighborhood), Brenda Song (Dollface) and Bella Thorne (Midnight Sun). President Gabrielle Carteris provided opening statements and freelance broadcaster LaMonica Peters moderated.

Opening conversation largely focused on the significance of the 19th Amendment and the importance of women’s vote in the upcoming national election. 

“Having powerful women that came before us fight [to vote] for so long speaks to the fact … we cannot let those women down,” said Shuler. “It’s up to us … to show how important it is to really step into our power because women are going to decide this election.”

Member guests also discussed how they are utilizing their platforms to foster conversation and education about political issues and encouraging greater voter turnout among their followers. 

“Social media is huge and wonderful to pass [and amplify] information, but at the same time, there’s so much misinformation out there,” said Song. “I’m not a politician or a scholar, but I know a lot of those people don’t have the same kind of platform entertainers do. 

“All I can do is guide fans in the right direction of properly vetted information,” she said.

Added Thorne, “One thing I like to do on my platform is make sure my fans know that I’m not going to hang them out to dry for asking a question. We’re all trying to learn and grow, and we need to sit down and have conversations with people to really understand where they’re coming from and what they’re fighting for. We all need to be asking questions.”

Watch the full conversation below. For more PTEOE panels, visit the SAG-AFTRA YouTube Channel. 

Photo: Panelists and top leadership from the Aug. 25 Women’s Equality Day: A Celebration of Women’s Voices and Women’s Votes panel. Top row, from left: freelance broadcaster LaMonica Peters, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, SAG-AFTRA member Bella Thorne and Rock the Vote Organizing Director Jasmine Jones; middle row, from left: SAG-AFTRA members Brenda Song and Tichina Arnold, President Gabrielle Carteris and Executive Vice President Rebecca Damon; bottom row, from left: ASL Interpreter “Maya” and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White.

The views expressed by the guests are their own and not that of SAG-AFTRA. Any mention of products or services does not imply SAG-AFTRA’s endorsement.