Women's Suffrage - Blog Posts

“I voted for Trump” So you hate every woman in your life? So you despise the very woman who held you dearly in her womb for months and the woman that held her? The Virgin Mary hears your proclamation and turns away, not much can make her do that. You claim to not be a fa$cist and you claim to not be a naz! but you have voted for the hand that promises to starve our women.

Note to Society #36

Happy International Women’s Day!

As we come together to celebrate the achievements of women throughout history, it’s important to remember the ongoing struggles women across the world are facing.

Today, let’s keep a special focus on all of our sisters of color, queer sisters, trans sisters, Palestinian sisters, working class sisters, disabled sisters, and sisters struggling with reproductive Justice.

We must not forget where we come from, and we must remember who we are working to protect now. I hope you all have a wonderful day - and pass along some kind words to the wonderful women in your lives!

A Historical Deep Dive into the Founders of Black Womanism & Modern Feminism

Six African American Suffragettes Mainstream History Tried to Forget

These amazing Black American women each advanced the principles of modern feminism and Black womanism by insisting on an intersectional approach to activism. They understood that the struggles of race and gender were intertwined, and that the liberation of Black women was essential. Their writings, speeches, and actions have continued to inspire movements addressing systemic inequities, while affirming the voices of marginalized women who have shaped society. Through their amazing work, they have expanded the scope of womanism and intersectional feminism to include racial justice, making it more inclusive and transformative.

Anna Julia Cooper (1858–1964)

Quote: “The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class—it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity.”

Contribution: Anna Julia Cooper was an educator, scholar, and advocate for Black women’s empowerment. Her book A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South (1892) is one of the earliest articulations of Black feminist thought. She emphasized the intellectual and cultural contributions of Black women and argued that their liberation was essential to societal progress. Cooper believed education was the key to uplifting African Americans and worked tirelessly to improve opportunities for women and girls, including founding organizations for Black women’s higher education. Her work challenged both racism and sexism, laying the intellectual foundation for modern Black womanism.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825–1911)

Quote: “We are all bound together in one great bundle of humanity, and society cannot trample on the weakest and feeblest of its members without receiving the curse in its own soul.”

Contribution: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was a poet, author, and orator whose work intertwined abolitionism, suffrage, and temperance advocacy. A prominent member of the American Equal Rights Association, she fought for universal suffrage, arguing that Black women’s voices were crucial in shaping a just society. Her 1866 speech at the National Woman’s Rights Convention emphasized the need for solidarity among marginalized groups, highlighting the racial disparities within the feminist movement. Harper’s writings, including her novel Iola Leroy, offered early depictions of Black womanhood and resilience, paving the way for Black feminist literature and thought.

Ida B. Wells (1862–1931)

Quote: “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

Contribution: Ida B. Wells was a fearless journalist, educator, and anti-lynching activist who co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Her investigative reporting exposed the widespread violence and racism faced by African Americans, particularly lynchings. As a suffragette, Wells insisted on addressing the intersection of race and gender in the fight for women’s voting rights. At the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade in Washington, D.C., she famously defied instructions to march in a segregated section and joined the Illinois delegation at the front, demanding recognition for Black women in the feminist movement. Her activism laid the groundwork for modern feminisms inclusion of intersectionality, emphasizing the dual oppressions faced by Black women.

Sojourner Truth (1797–1883)

Quote: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Contribution: Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth became a powerful voice for abolition, women's rights, and racial justice after gaining her freedom. Her famous 1851 speech, "Ain’t I a Woman?" delivered at a women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio, directly challenged the exclusion of Black women from the feminist narrative. She highlighted the unique struggles of Black women, who faced both racism and sexism, calling out the hypocrisy of a movement that often-centered white women’s experiences. Truth’s legacy lies in her insistence on equality for all, inspiring future generations to confront the intersecting oppressions of race and gender in their advocacy.

Nanny Helen Burroughs (1879–1961)

Quote: “We specialize in the wholly impossible.”

Contribution: Nanny Helen Burroughs was an educator, activist, and founder of the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington, D.C., which emphasized self-sufficiency and vocational training for African American women. She championed the "Three B's" of her educational philosophy: Bible, bath, and broom, advocating for spiritual, personal, and professional discipline. Burroughs was also a leader in the Women's Convention Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, where she pushed for the inclusion of women's voices in church leadership. Her dedication to empowering Black women as agents of social change influenced both the feminist and civil rights movements, promoting a vision of racial and gender equality.

Elizabeth Piper Ensley (1847–1919)

Quote: “The ballot in the hands of a woman means power added to influence.”

Contribution: Elizabeth Piper Ensley was a suffragist and civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in securing women’s suffrage in Colorado in 1893, making it one of the first states to grant women the vote. As a Black woman operating in the predominantly white suffrage movement, Ensley worked to bridge racial and class divides, emphasizing the importance of political power for marginalized groups. She was an active member of the Colorado Non-Partisan Equal Suffrage Association and focused on voter education to ensure that women, especially women of color, could fully participate in the democratic process. Ensley’s legacy highlights the importance of coalition-building in achieving systemic change.

To honor these pioneers, we must continue to amplify Black women's voices, prioritizing intersectionality, and combat systemic inequalities in race, gender, and class.

Modern black womanism and feminist activism can expand upon these little-known founders of woman's rights by continuously working on an addressing the disparities in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for marginalized communities. Supporting Black Woman-led organizations, fostering inclusive black femme leadership, and embracing allyship will always be vital.

Additionally, when we continuously elevate their contributions in social media or multi-media art through various platforms, and academic curriculum we ensure their legacies continuously inspire future generations. By integrating their principles into feminism and advocating for collective liberation, women and feminine allies can continue their fight for justice, equity, and feminine empowerment, hand forging a society, by blood, sweat, bones and tears where all women can thrive, free from oppression.

42,089 DAYS W/OUT A HARASSMENT INCIDENT AND COUNTING!!!

A group of milliners working in a hat shop. Ca. 1910

I found the Baron.

While at an airshow (the most fun and autistic event I've ever been to) I stumbled upon a bear dressed in pilots clothes, specifically a bomber jacket, goggles and scarf. Like the outfits of WW1 era pilots. After some timeline checking I present to you the story of the Baron and Baroness.

The baroness has been a suffragette for many years now, while it has been hard work she feels they are close. The Baron fears he might have to take up arms in the great war, while out one day he watches the suffragettes protests. One woman full of determination catches his eye, he admires her courage and spirit, wishing he too could be like that. But as she walks past him, he just watches. The Baron believes he will never see this powerful lady again. As chance would have it they meet once more, a smitten Baron tries his best to woo the Baroness. While his natural wit fails him, his charming attitude and sincerity has the baroness fall in love with him all the same. The war looming it the background of their happy ending. the Baron deems it his responsibility to fight for Britain. Tearful goodbye are shared; the Baron reassures his beloved that, if it weren't for her, he would not have the bravery to fight at all. Before he flies off in to battle the baroness give him a locket with a picture of her. "Keep it close," she says, "it will keep you safe." The baron places it in the pocket closest to his heart. "I win the war for Britain, you win the war for women." They part, and the story ends. We are left wondering; will the allies win the great war? Will the suffragettes procure their rights? And what you are wondering, will they ever see eachother again?

I saw a doll at the thrift store the other day, it was a light brown bear dressed in fancy dress, it was a beautiful maroon with lace. She had a hat on as well. A lovely sufferagette, standing alone atop a dusty wooden shelf. She reminded me of the baroness. Noble, breath taking, yet alone.