As citizens across the country prepare for the upcoming presidential election, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is enlisting one of the nation’s leading activists to address the importance of voting rights. Gloria Steinem will speak to Freedom Center audiences virtually on Thursday, October 22 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

Steinem’s discussion of voter suppression is especially timely in 2020, an election year that has already been plagued by claims of voter suppression efforts across the nation. The purge of voter rolls in multiple states has disenfranchised many voters and the questionable closure of polling locations in certain neighborhoods presents substantial barriers to ballot access. Additionally, attacks on the U.S. Postal Service and mail-in voting threatens to deprive millions of their vote as they navigate COVID-19 safety precautions. The added implications of an open U.S. Supreme Court seat, and with it the fate of key women’s rights and healthcare legislation, may imbue the upcoming election with the highest stakes of any since women first earned the right to vote in 1920.

“Unpacking Voter Suppression: A Virtual Discussion with Gloria Steinem” will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 22 via Zoom. The virtual discussion is free and those interested may register at freedomcenter.org/events/Gloria-Steinem.