Volume XIX

The Blackwing Volume XIX - The 19th Amendment Pencil

On August 18th, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment. After nearly a centruy of lobbying, marching, and protesting, it was finally illegal to deny anyone the right to vote on the basis of sex. This was a massive step forward for equal voting rights in the US, but it was not without it's flaws.

Some members of the suffrage movement had sought to exclude Black women from the protection of the Amendment. And even after the 19th Amendment passed, the voting rights of Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latinx Americans continued to be repressed, often violently. Although the Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to eliminate these practices, gerrymandering and other voter suppression techniques continue to threaten all Americans' right to the elective franchises. 

The Blackwing XIX is a tribute to the 19th Amendment and the ongoing fight for voting rights in the United States and around the world. It features a purple barrel and three-sided white and yellow imprint inspired by the suffrage flag, striped silver ferrule, and purple eraser. The firm graphite is perfect for writing a letter to you Member of Parliment, the Mayor or your local Councillors. (Fun fact: our Mayor in the South Wairarapa is also a fan of graphite) 

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Blackwing pencils were favoured by award-winning creators throughout the 20th century. Despite a cult following, they were discontinued in the 1990s. Devotees began paying as much as $40USD on eBay for a single pencil.

Cal Cedar aquired the brand in 2010 and brought it back for a new generation of artists, musicians, and everday scribblers looking to unplug and live more mindfully.