KNOXVILLE, TN – The words of the speech written during 1920 by African American Suffragist Juno Frankie Pierce rang throughout the banquet hall: “What will the Negro woman do with the vote? We are interested in the same moral uplift of the community in which we live as you are. We are asking only one thing – a square deal.”
Sung by recording artist Rachel Grey, the performance was one of many in the evening of celebration at the 16th annual Febb Burn banquet, the yearly fundraiser held in memory of the mother who told her son Harry Burns to be a good boy and vote for suffrage.
The young statesman obeyed his mother, and the 19th amendment was passed when Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to give women voting rights.
That story and the many others and artifacts from the struggles and the sacrifice made by women from all walks of life lived but had no permanent home until now.
In the Spring of 2028, the Women’s Suffrage Museum Events and Cultural Center will open. When the ribbon is cut the museum will be the largest museum of its kind in the world spanning over 30, 000 square feet.
The Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center announced significant milestones in the development of its permanent home Tuesday evening during the sold-out 16th Annual Febb Burn Banquet, marking the project’s continued evolution from vision to reality.
Before an audience of more than 400 supporters gathered at Bridgewater Place to commemorate Tennessee’s historic role in ratifying the 19th Amendment, museum leaders unveiled a series of major developments that represent the next chapter in creating what will become the world’s largest museum dedicated exclusively to women’s suffrage.
Among the announcements:
- The museum has secured 706 South Gay Street and the adjacent 708 South Gay Street properties, expanding the project beyond its original footprint.
- Johnson Architecture has been selected to lead architectural design for the project.
- Museum planning has advanced into schematic design development, with all galleries and visitor experiences now identified.
- The museum will encompass approximately 30,000 square feet across four floors, creating an immersive destination dedicated to preserving, interpreting and celebrating the history of women’s suffrage.
- Beyond its museum galleries and exhibitions, the Events & Cultural Center will feature a major dining and event space, a bridal suite and a library, creating opportunities for weddings, special events, research and community gatherings.
- Upon completion, the Women’s Suffrage Museum – Events & Cultural Center will become the world’s largest museum and events and cultural center dedicated exclusively to honoring the women’s suffrage movement.
Together, the developments move the long-planned museum closer to becoming a permanent home for the stories of the women whose contributions to the suffrage movement have often gone untold.
The properties are now owned by the Suffrage Coalition after holding a year of aggressive fundraising efforts. Wanda Sobeski, President of the Suffrage Coalition explained the large space was needed in order to tell the story correctly. One main area of the museum will feature the history of the women of color who worked tirelessly to ensure the right to vote was obtained. Mary Kellogg, co-founder of the Titanic Museum is the co- design artist for the Suffrage project and has vowed to tell the stories of the Indigenous women, Chinese women, Spanish-speaking and Black women who helped in the 72-year struggle.
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