In celebration of the 100th
anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution and women obtaining the right to vote, the Gail Bierenbaum Women’s Leadership Council at Rider University has released The Rider University Women’s Suffrage Centennial Cookbook.
Assembled in the tradition of the suffragist cookbooks of the late
19th and early 20th centuries, Rider’s cookbook honors the courage and
accomplishments of the suffragists and offers the personal messages of
contemporary women on the importance of voting and being an engaged
citizen.
The book, dedicated to the vote, contains close to 100 recipes
submitted by women from around the country — elected officials
(including the Honorable Tahesha Way, New Jersey Secretary of State);
Rider alumnae, students, faculty and staff; and friends of the
University. Lucienne Beard, executive director of the Alice Paul
Institute, and Sara Cureton, executive director of the New Jersey
Historical Commission, both leaders of NJ Women Vote: the 19th Amendment
at 100, are also contributors.
Contributors also shared their thoughts on a variety of topics
including what the vote means to them, the importance of being an
engaged citizen and their hopes and dreams for their daughters and
granddaughters. Interspersed throughout the book are photos and
artifacts from the suffrage movement, many contributed by the Elizabeth
Cady Stanton Trust and the Alice Paul Institute.
Forewords are written by Coline Jenkins, great-great-granddaughter of
suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in collaboration with Dr. Erica
Ryan, associate professor of history and director of Rider’s gender and
sexuality studies program; culinary historian Becky Libourel Diamond '90
and author of Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s First Cooking School;
and Marian Schneider, executive director of Verified Voting, a national
organization dedicated to strengthening democracy by promoting the
responsible use of technology in elections.
Suffrage cookbooks, which first appeared in 1886, were a covert way
for suffragists to share information about the cause. They were a
uniting factor and a way to exchange ideas, helping women to rally
together.
“The Gail Bierenbaum Women’s Leadership Council is proud to publish The Rider Women’s Suffrage Centennial Cookbook,”
said Pamela G. Mingle, the council’s founder and co-director. “While
our cookbook honors our courageous foremothers and the ratification of
the 19th Amendment in 1920, we recognize that this historic moment for
women was only a first step towards equal access to the franchise, and
that for many women the struggle continued and still continues today.
This cookbook also is in their honor.”
“The cookbook was a joy to assemble,” said Joan C. Mazzotti
'72, vice-chair of Rider’s Board of Trustees. “What quickly became clear
to me was that my role as editor was to bring consistency to the format
of the recipes, while staying true to the voice of the contributor.
Accordingly, scattered throughout the book you will find advice and tips
shared with love, experience and good humor. That is the beauty of a
community cookbook.
“In the tradition of the suffragists’ cookbooks, throughout this book
you also will find compelling, heartfelt messages from the
contributors,” said Mazzotti. “Some are rallying cries for the
importance of voting; others are stories of courageous mothers and
grandmothers; and others are thoughts on the continuing fight for
women’s rights. All are messages of gratitude, hope and pride.”
The book also puts the publication of the cookbook into context and
includes pieces on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national
anguish that followed the murder of George Floyd.
Copies of the 185-page, softcover cookbook may be purchased for $19.20, plus shipping, online at www.rider.edu/cookbook or
by calling 609-896-5000, ext. 7032. All proceeds from the sale of the
cookbook will fund scholarship assistance for women attending Rider
University.
