African American Women’s Suffrage

Five officers of the Newport, Rhode Island, Women’s League, c. 1899. African American women simultaneously fought for civil rights and women’s suffrage. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress.)

In this busy month of commemorating the centennial of the LWV and women’s suffrage in the United States, let’s not forget that this is also Black History Month. The herstory of black women’s suffrage and its interface with the (white) women’s suffrage movement in America is both fascinating and complex. African American women often found themselves caught between the battle for African American civil rights and the politics of women’s suffrage, which at times conflicted with those rights. The Oakland League has a web page that links to several resources for learning more: https://my.lwv.org/california/oakland/article/black-history-month-black-.... One of these is a talk by Alison Parker, Ph.D., professor of history at the College at Brockport, State University of New York. In a YouTube video, she shares her insights into the politics of the many stakeholders in the history of black women’s suffrage and women’s rights in general. For those white privileged women (like me) who are seeking greater understanding of DEI, our relationships, and our responsibilities, this seems well worth a listen!

—Chris Moose, Editor, the Voter