Bill Lynch: The Women’s March goes on

"I've lived all my life in Sonoma and have never seen anything like the turnout last month in support of the Women's March in and around our Plaza."|

I’ve lived all my life in Sonoma and have never seen anything like the turnout last month in support of the Women’s March in and around our Plaza. It was a patriotic, positive, and an affirming show of solidarity for women’s rights and common decency.

Sonoma Valley residents turned out in force and I was proud to join with them and so many of my friends and neighbors.

I come from a family of strong, outspoken women, including my great-great grandmother, Rowena Granice Steele – journalist, California’s first woman novelist, and an early activist in the California Woman Suffrage Society started in 1870 by her friend Laura de Force Gordon.

Rowena’s granddaughter, my grand aunt Celeste Granice Murphy, Index-?Tribune editor and publisher from 1915 to 1946, was also an outspoken advocate for women. She and her mother, Kate Granice, were founding members of the Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club in 1901.

Aunt Celie wrote many editorials in support of women’s rights and causes before and after the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

Here are some excerpts from an editorial she wrote in 1923 in favor of a state community property bill:

“The evident justice of the community property bill will make it a law, for Gov. Richardson knows as well as other fair minded citizens that the hue and cry against it is as hollow as the cry that went up against women’s suffrage before that measure became operative…. the country is progressing very well and there has been none of the economic disturbance predicted through women meddling with politics.

“The community property rights of women has been shown to be a real necessity… The power of disposing of their share of the property will never be abused by the good wives and mothers of this or any other state… the state owes it to the good women to recognize and reward their efforts by granting them the right to protect those whom they would see protected.

“On behalf of wives and mothers toiling today, and those who have made the supreme sacrifice, the Governor should sign the community property bill.”

Such words today may not sound bold, but in her day, Aunt Celie’s support of suffrage and other rights for women were often viciously opposed by the same kinds of misogynistic characters that have taken over in our nation’s capital today.

She and my great-great grandmother Rowena were no doubt smiling down on Sonoma during that March last month.

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