KNOXVILLE – A public unveiling of Knoxville’s second woman suffrage monument is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, June 9, 2018 by the Suffrage Coalition. The new Burn Memorial will commemorate the historic vote of state legislator Harry Burn, and the important role of his mother, Febb, in winning the right to vote for American women.

Clay sculpting of Burn Memorial in LeQuire studio. Image courtesy of the Suffrage Coalition

The festivities will begin with an historic re-enactment suffrage parade up Gay Street at 4:00 p.m. The parade will be followed with a short program on Market Square at 4:30. suffrage. The unveiling at the corner of Clinch Avenue and Market Square is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m.

The Burn Memorial is a powerful companion to the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial which already graces Knoxville’s Market Square. Nashville sculptor Alan LeQuire crafted both Knoxville’s Tennessee Woman Suffrage Memorial unveiled here in 2006 and the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument unveiled in Nashville in 2017. LeQuire is also known for the Tennessee's Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, Athena Parthenos, and Musica in Nashville.

A fundraising campaign is ongoing to raise the remaining $100,000 needed to install and maintain the memorial. Individuals or organizations can make donations to support the memorial. Engraved bricks that will be placed around Memorial are available for a suggested donation of $100. Individuals and organizations can have their names placed on the base of the Memorial: $1,000 suggested donation for individuals; $2,500 suggested donation for community groups; $5,000 suggested donation for businesses. The deadline for all engravings is May 15, 2018. More information is available online at suffragecoalition.org/engage-in-history/ or by contacting Wanda Sobieski at wsobieski@sobieskimesser.com.

The Suffrage Coalition has been hard at work with activities leading up to the official unveiling:

Febb Burn Day: The Suffrage Coalition presented and Tennessee’s House and Senate have unanimously passed a resolution to set aside August 18th as Febb Burn Day. The resolution is awaiting the Governor’s signature.

Student Suffrage Contest: A contest is under way for students in grades 5 through 12 to create a visual presentation about their favorite suffragist. The video or PowerPoint submissions must be received by April 12th. More information about the contest is available at suffragecoalition.org/powerpoint-video-contest/.

Reception: A reception is scheduled for Friday, June 8, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. at the East Tennessee History Center to honor “those who persisted and sacrificed to win the vote for women.” Elaine Weiss, author of newly released The Woman’s Hour, will be present at the reception to sign copies of her book. The public can purchase tickets for the reception online at suffragecoalition.org.

Parade: An historical re-enactment Suffrage Parade kicks off the unveiling ceremony. Individuals and groups are encouraged to participate in the parade, beginning at 4:00 p.m. on June 9. The parade will process from Main to Gay Streets, to Union Avenue to State Street, and will culminate on Market Square. Participants are encouraged to wear 1920s era dress or white clothes. More information and registration forms will be available shortly from the Suffrage Coalition website, suffragecoalition.org Wanda Sobieski at wsobieski@sobieskimesser.com.

The Suffrage Coalition is co-ordinated by local attorney Wanda Sobieski and is responsible for the development of the Burn Memorial, as well as the Tennessee Woman’s Suffrage Memorial. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN, the Suffrage Coalition is a 501c(3) nonprofit group and a special project of the East Tennessee Foundation. The Coalition works to locate, preserve, and educate regarding the history of women’s suffrage, especially in the state of Tennessee. More information about the Suffrage Coalition is available at suffragecoalition.org and on FaceBook at Suffrage Coalition.