Yuma, Arizona - The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment, giving black men the right to vote in 1870. Fifty years later, with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, women also won the right to the franchise.

On Saturday, February 15th, Professor Monica Ketchum and Tony Mitchell from Arizona Western College will present “The 15th Amendment at 150: African Americans and the Vote, 1870 to present day” to commemorate the enfranchisement of African Americans and discuss the ongoing struggle to retain voting rights. There is no charge to attend.

10:30 a.m.  The Impact of the 15th Amendment
                   Monica Ketchum

11:00 a.m.  The Election of 1876 and its Consequences
                   Tony Mitchell

11:30 a.m.  Reclaiming the 15th in the Twentieth Century
                   Monica Ketchum

12:00 p.m.  Community Discussion: Voter suppression, re-enfranchisement, and the status of African American voting rights today
                   Monica Ketchum & Tony Mitchell

The Main Library is located at 2951 S 21st Drive. For more information, call (928) 782-1871.