Throughout history, African American women have played a significant role in the fight for universal suffrage. Despite facing numerous obstacles due to their race and gender, these trailblazers made significant contributions to the advancement of civil rights and women’s suffrage in the United States. This article delves into the lives and achievements of these courageous African American women who fought for their right to vote and helped shape the course of American history.
The Struggle for Representation
African American women actively participated in the struggle for universal suffrage during the 19th and 20th centuries. They attended political conventions, organised political societies, and used their positions in churches, newspapers, and educational institutions to promote their ideas. However, their voices were often marginalised, as both Black men and white women led civil rights organisations and determined their agendas.
Exclusion from mainstream organisations
Prominent suffrage organisations, such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association, often excluded Black women from their conventions and activities. African American women were also forced to march separately from white women in suffrage parades. Furthermore, when white suffragists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony wrote The History of Woman Suffrage in the 1880s, they largely ignored the contributions of African American suffragists.
Despite these challenges, Black women continued to fight for their rights and played a crucial role in the passage of the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments.
Pioneers in the Suffrage Movement
Several African American women emerged as key figures in the suffrage movement, navigating the complex intersections of race and gender to advocate for universal suffrage.
Mary Ann Shadd Cary (1823-1893)
An abolitionist and one of the first Black female lawyers in the United States, Mary Ann Shadd Cary spoke in support of the Fifteenth Amendment, which granted voting rights to African American men but not women. Cary argued that Black women would continue to face discrimination and prejudice unless their voices were uplifted like those of Black men.
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911)
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was a prominent abolitionist, poet, and suffrage leader. As one of the few African American women present at conferences and meetings between 1854 and 1890, Harper wrote and spoke about the need for universal suffrage and the unique challenges faced by African American women.
Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954)
Mary Church Terrell, an educator, author, and social activist, was a staunch advocate for women’s right to vote. Terrell, who was one of the first African American women to earn a college degree, worked tirelessly to address the exclusion of Black women from the women’s suffrage movement. She picketed the White House with National Woman’s Party members, pushing for the upliftment of Black women and their entire race.
Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961)
Nannie Helen Burroughs, an educator, playwright, and religious leader, believed that job training, education, and the right to vote were essential tools for African American women’s empowerment. As a founder of the National Training School for Women and Girls, Burroughs emphasised the importance of education and political participation for the advancement of Black women.
Mary Burnett Talbert (1866-1923)
Mary Burnett Talbert was an organiser, writer, activist, and orator who dedicated her life to social and political change for African Americans. She co-founded the Niagara movement with W.E.B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter and later served as the president of the National Association of Colored Women.
The Unique Challenges Faced by African American Women
Black women found themselves pulled in two directions: Black men sought their support in fighting racial discrimination. In contrast, white women wanted them to help change the inferior status of women in American society. Both groups often ignored the unique challenges faced by African American women, who experienced discrimination and prejudice based on both race and gender.
A Focus on Human Rights and Universal Suffrage
African American women like Mary Church Terrell, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Harriet Tubman understood that both their race and sex affected their rights and opportunities. As a result, they tended to focus on human rights and universal suffrage rather than suffrage solely for African Americans or women.
The Importance of Collaboration
Black suffragists believed that the issue of suffrage was too large and complex for any one group or organisation to address alone. They hoped that different groups would work together to achieve their shared goal of universal suffrage. To this end, Black women like Nannie Helen Burroughs worked with mainstream suffrage organisations such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association.
The Formation of Black Women’s clubs and organisations
In response to the mainstream suffrage organisations’ failure to address the unique challenges faced by Black women, African American women began forming their own clubs and organisations in the late 19th century.
The National Association of Colored Women (NACW)
In 1896, Black reformers like Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin and Charlotte Forten Grimke founded the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in Boston. The NACW’s motto, “Lifting as we climb,” reflected the organisation’s goal to uplift the status of Black women. Members discussed strategies for attaining civil rights and women’s suffrage during their meetings at the Charles Street Meeting House.
The Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago
In 1913, Ida B. Wells founded the Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago, the nation’s first Black women’s club focused specifically on suffrage. The organisation aimed to promote cooperation between Black and white women in the fight for voting rights.
The Fight Continues: African American Women After the Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment
Following the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, Black women gained the right to vote and hold political offices. However, they continued to face discrimination and prejudice, as many states enacted laws that targeted African Americans and limited their freedoms.
The National Council of Negro Women
In 1935, Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and political advisor, formed the National Council of Negro Women to pursue civil rights for African Americans. The organisation played a crucial role in the fight for suffrage, which culminated in the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. This landmark legislation represented more than a century of work by Black women to make voting more accessible and equitable.
The legacy of African American women in the suffrage movement
The tireless efforts of African American suffragists have left an indelible mark on American history. Through their courage, determination, and commitment to justice, these women helped pave the way for future generations to exercise their right to vote and participate in the democratic process. Their stories are a powerful reminder of the importance of equal representation and the ongoing struggle for civil rights and gender equality in the United States.
Conclusion
African American women played a pivotal role in the suffrage movement, fighting for their right to vote and advocating for the rights of all women. Despite facing significant obstacles, these trailblazers made lasting contributions to the advancement of civil rights and women’s suffrage in the United States. As we continue to work toward a more equitable society, honouring and remembering the sacrifices and achievements of these remarkable women who helped shape the course of American history is essential.
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