By WaTasha Barnes Griffin, Coalition of Women’s Organizations—
MUNCIE, IN—The Coalition of Women’s Organizations will host the 33rd annual Women’s Equality Day Celebration at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in the Muncie City Hall auditorium. This year’s program will honor the legacy of the women’s suffrage movement while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of five local women who are shaping Muncie’s future through leadership, advocacy, and service.
Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. First declared a national observance by President Richard Nixon, the day has been celebrated annually ever since. This year’s event also marks the 105th anniversary of the amendment’s ratification on August 18, 1920, and its certification on August 26, 1920.
The 2025 celebration will pay special tribute to the late Vivian V. Conley, a beloved Muncie civil rights activist known for her advocacy in education, civil rights, and elder justice. Conley enrolled at Ball State University in her 60s-alongside her daughter and three grandsons, earning degrees in political science and gerontology. She also founded the Non-Traditional Student Association and helped over 150 students and adults pursue higher education. She remained an active voice in the community until her death in 1993 and was posthumously honored as a Sagamore of the Wabash by then-Governor Evan Bayh.
In honor of her legacy, this year’s honorees will receive the Vivian V. Conley Recognition Certificate. The 2025 recipients are:
- Tara Gudger – Distinction in Educational Advocacy
- Roza Selvey – Distinction in Civic Engagement
- Sheryl Swingley – Distinction in Social Justice
- Alisa Wells – Distinction in Community Service
- Lara Kuykendall – Distinction in Arts and Culture
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Sarah Vitale, Associate Professor of Philosophy and noted community organizer. Margot Middleton, former WLBC broadcaster and longtime advocate for community awareness, will serve as mistress of ceremonies.
WaTasha Barnes Griffin, a member of the organizing committee and CEO of YWCA Central Indiana, emphasized the importance of both history and legacy in this year’s event, “Women’s Equality Day is not just about looking back, it’s about lifting up the women in our community who continue to fight for equity, inclusion, and justice. Honoring Vivian V. Conley’s legacy through the recognition of these five outstanding women reminds us that the work continues, and that leadership takes many powerful forms.”
The Coalition of Women’s Organizations includes the local branches of the American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters, National Organization for Women, Indiana Women of Achievement, Friends of Conley, and the Coalition of 100 Black Women.
This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend and celebrate the powerful legacy and ongoing impact of women’s leadership in Muncie and beyond.
For more information, please email womensequalitydaymuncie@gmail.com
