This Sunday marks the anniversary of a demonstration that played a key role in the movement for women’s suffrage. On August 28, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson was picketed by women suffragists who were advocating for the right to vote. At that time, Wilson opposed women’s suffrage, while his political rival Theodore Roosevelt supported it during the 1912 presidential election.
The History Channel notes that many of these demonstrators were arrested and jailed. Some went on hunger strikes and were force-fed. The negative publicity surrounding these events led Wilson to support a suffrage amendment in January 1918. The result was the ratification of the 19th Amendment in August 1920.
Nearly a century later, in 2019, Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora founded the nonprofit news outlet 19th News. According to its InfluenceWatch profile, Ramshaw was motivated by concerns about traditional media being dominated by men and how female politicians were covered. Despite lacking fundraising experience, she raised $2 million within six months with support from her network, which included Kathryn Murdoch and Craig Newmark.
After the most recent presidential election, Sonny Hostin of The View joined the board of directors at 19th News. Eight days before her appointment, Hostin had commented on ABC that “uneducated white women” contributed to Donald Trump’s election victory.
According to InfluenceWatch, “The 19th Amendment remains unfinished business,” as stated by 19th News.
The Lincoln Project has also been covered extensively by 19th News. In February 2021, Steve Schmidt, Rick Wilson, and Reed Galen resigned from its board amid controversy over sexual misconduct allegations against John Weaver and claims that leadership ignored these issues. Reports also described a toxic workplace environment within the organization.
Additionally, reporting by 19th News revealed questions regarding ownership of donor data collected through political ads released on social media platforms. Former employees indicated this data increased in value as donations grew.
Interviews conducted by 19th News highlighted concerns about inappropriate language used both in Lincoln Project offices and in its political ads. For example, Ben Howe—a video editor for the Super PAC—was dismissed after posting explicit tweets containing offensive language directed at political rivals.
Further reports related to the Lincoln Project can be found through Capital Research Center’s search results: https://capitalresearch.org/?s=lincoln+project
