Southern Indiana Business July-August 2020 | Page 5

two editors,
one column
... how’s that going to work?
Susan: Hey, Daniel!
Daniel: Hey, Susan. You don’t have to yell, I can still hear
decently well out of my right ear.
Susan: OK, then. Welcome to our Women’s Suffrage issue
of Southern Indiana Business magazine.
Daniel: That’s more like it. Thank you for including me for
one of the most important issues of Southern Indiana Business
this year.
Susan: Yes, it is. This year marks the 100th anniversary of
women obtaining the right to vote. We thought it would be
a great time to highlight the role Southern Indiana women
played in suffrage rights. Then, we just decided to dedicate
the entire issue to women.
Daniel: It’s a good choice considering the vital role of
women in our world. Men get plenty of attention, and we
don’t give enough credit to women. Hopefully men can
help turn back centuries of inequality and ensure women
are paid equally, treated fairly and rewarded for their talents
and contributions.
Susan: Well, you get the opportunity to ensure equal coverage
of women in Southern Indiana Business magazine as the
publication’s new head honcho. So, readers, without further
ado, allow me to introduce Editor Daniel Suddeath.
Daniel: Susan, I’m actually going by Sir Daniel Suddeath
Esquire these days. I ran into some trouble down in Kentucky
so I had to make some changes.
Susan: What do you mean Sir Yada Yada Esquire? Umm,
I think you have to be a knight and a lawyer to carry those
titles.
Daniel: Well my cats believe I’m the King of the Castle if
that counts for anything. Actually they think I’m more of a
court jester, and they call me Sir Tuna Fetcher.
Susan: That’s it — introduce yourself to readers. I’m heading
to the back of the magazine, to have The Last Word.
Daniel: Hello, Southern Indiana. Now that the big boss is
away, we kids can play. I worked for the News and Tribune
from 2008 to 2015, and served as editor of Southern Indiana
Business during my previous stint here. I transferred to one
of our sister newspapers in Kentucky for about five years,
but I’m back on the Sunny Side and looking forward to what
we can accomplish together.
The pandemic brought our nation to a grinding halt, and with
concerns about a second wave of the coronavirus striking, no
one can say with certainty if we’re out of the woods in terms
of the threat COVID-19 poses to our health, our economy
and our general way of life.
As bad as it has been, and still could be, the struggles we’re
facing are nothing compared to what women endured just to
secure the right to vote. For hundreds of years women were
treated more like property than humans. Even after legislation
securing voting rights for women was ratified in 1920,
the struggle has continued.
Women are paid less than men on average, are underrepresented
in elected office and traditionally hold fewer positions
of power than their male counterparts.
There is good news, though, and you will read about some
of it in this edition of Southern Indiana Business. Women are
leading the way in Southern Indiana in the business world,
and they’re also making their presence felt politically.
Take time to read their stories and to celebrate their accomplishments,
as the plight of fairness for women is an important
battle for all of us.
July / August 2020
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