By Nadia Johnson
In honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, here are ten incredible Black suffragists who played pivotal roles in the fight for women’s rights. Each of these remarkable women broke barriers, challenged societal norms, and made a lasting impact on the suffrage movement. Let’s explore their inspiring stories and celebrate their contributions to the quest for equality!lity!
- Mary Church Terrell
Mary Church Terrell, a classics scholar at Oberlin College, was one of the first Black women to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. After moving to Washington, D.C., she taught Latin at the M Street School, the first public high school for Black students, and became involved in the women’s rights movement. She co-founded the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs with Ida B. Wells-Barnett, serving as its first president and creating the motto, “Lifting as we climb.”
In 1910, Terrell established the National Association of University Women to foster fellowship among professional women. She lectured nationwide on women’s voting rights, emphasizing the hypocrisy of white suffragists who ignored the rights of Black individuals.
2. Mary B. Talbert
Mary B. Talbert, born and raised in Oberlin, Ohio, was an educator and activist who co-founded the Phyllis Wheatley Club in Buffalo, New York. In 1905, she helped establish the Niagara Movement, a forerunner to the NAACP, where she served as vice president.
Her advocacy for women’s suffrage led to her presidency of the National Association of Colored Women from 1916 to 1920, during which she transformed it into a national organization and managed to save the Frederick Douglass Home in Washington, D.C. A skilled writer and speaker, Talbert also contributed to The Crisis and became an international voice for Black women’s rights.
3.Nannie Helen Burroughs
Nannie Helen Burroughs was a dedicated educator, religious leader, and feminist who believed that Black women and girls should have greater opportunities for job training and careers. She made it her life’s mission to empower Black women. Burroughs attended the M Street School in Washington, D.C., where she met her mentor, Mary Church Terrell.
She co-founded the National Association of Colored Women and the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, an organization of over one million women that she led in support of women’s suffrage. In 1909, Burroughs convinced the National Baptist Convention to establish the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington, D.C. This school was funded exclusively by Black donors and aimed to educate and train Black women. Burroughs served as president of the school until her death in 1961, after which the school was renamed in her honor.
4. Frances E.W. Harper
Frances E.W. Harper, born in Baltimore in 1825, is recognized for her poetry and writings that critique slavery, racism, and gender inequality. As a teenager, she was introduced to a variety of literature while working in a Quaker household, which inspired her to become an abolitionist speaker and a worker on the Underground Railroad. She supported her family through her speaking engagements and published collections of poetry and prose, including *Forest Leaves* (1845) and the novel *Iola Leroy, or Shadows Uplifted* (1892).
Harper was a founding member of the American Woman Suffrage Association and attended several conferences and meetings focused on women’s rights. Notably, at the Women’s Convention of 1866, she shared the platform with prominent activists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During this event, she addressed the racial discrimination she faced as a Black woman in predominantly white suffragist organizations, stating, “You white women here speak of rights. I speak of wrongs.”
5.Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin
Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin was a journalist and activist dedicated to engaging Black women in New England in civil rights. She joined the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association in 1875 and co-founded the Women’s Era Club in 1893. This organization was one of the first public service clubs for Black women, advocating for Black voting rights and various civil rights issues. In 1895, the Women’s Era Club became a part of the Massachusetts State Federation of Women’s Clubs.
When the state federation later joined the National Federation of Women’s Clubs, a controversy emerged. Ruffin asserted her right to be recognized as the delegate of a Black women’s club at the national federation’s annual convention. However, the national group’s president was unaware that a Black club had been admitted to the all-white federation, which led to Ruffin not being recognized. Despite this, she made a significant point about representation.
Ruffin also established the club’s newspaper, The Women’s Era, which became the first national newspaper for Black women. She edited and published it from 1894 to 1897, allowing Black women from across the country to contribute their writings and amplify their voices and achievements in the civil rights movement.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the unknown Black suffragette women whose shoulders we stand on today. In our time, we must continue to fight for the rights and opportunities they struggled for and sacrificed their lives to secure, as we know they are at risk of being erased. It would be a shame to let that happen.
