Photo by Sgt. Neil McCabe/XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg PAO Kate Campbell Stevenson performs “Petticoats in Politics,” Aug. 18.

Our annual observance of Women’s Equality Day culminated Aug. 18, at Pope Theatre with a theatrical performance and the recognition of the Women’s Equality Day Art Competition.

Women’s Equality Day and programs like it are opportunities to recognize the contributions women have made to the nation, said Maj. Gen. Rodney O. Anderson, the deputy commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, who was the keynote speaker.

The centerpiece of the program was the presentation of “Petticoats in Politics,” a one-woman show starring Kate Campbell Stevenson, which featured her portrayals of first ladies Abigail Adams and Eleanor Roosevelt and pioneer aviatrix Bessy Coleman. Each of the characters, through speech and song, narrate the struggle for women’s rights.

Each woman has her own take on how women can play a fuller role in the growth of America. Adams begs her husband John not to forget the ladies as he co-writes the Declaration of Independence.

Coleman proves that the will to follow one’s dream can overcome both gender and racial barriers.
Roosevelt became her husband, Franklin’s, stand-in as he strove to remain politically relevant in the wake of his crippling bout with polio.

Stevenson said she has a inventory of 10 female characters that she mixes and matches, three at a time, depending on a sponsor’s preference.

All of the costume changes, including brown face make-up for Coleman and false teeth for Roosevelt’s overbite, happen on stage as Stevenson keeps the story moving with her monologue.
Although she has performed the show more than one hundred times, it has never become routine, she said. “There are still times I grab the wrong wig.”

In his remarks, Col. James C. Johnson, Pope Air Force Base commander, said he was grateful for Stevenson’s ability to entertain and educate. “Thank you for your talent and your intellect.”

In the ramp up to Women’s Equality Day, officially observed Aug. 26, the Team Bragg Equal Opportunity community sponsored a contest asking post school children to nominate a woman who was an inspiration in their lives, gave them hope for a better tomorrow or helped them make a positive change, said Sgt. 1st Class Micaela Reyes, an equal opportunity specialist at Womack Army Medical Center.

Reyes said more 30 nominations, which included both a short essay and an illustration, were submitted.

The winner of the Women’s Equality Day Art Competition, Ashley Cruz, who nominated her mother Shannon, was recognized on stage by Col. Christopher L. Spillman, the commander of the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

Afterwards, Cruz said she had no idea she had won. It was a secret kept by her Family and the organizers until she heard her named called.

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