Reflecting on Women’s History Month and the Women's Suffrage Movement
Women’s History Month is a month dedicated to commemorating and celebrating the influential women who have made history and changed our society. The theme for March 2023 is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Story.” The National Women’s History Alliance, an organization which spearheaded the movement to dedicate March to women’s history, writes, “Women’s stories, and the larger human story, expand our understanding and strengthen our connections with each other.” In recognition of Women’s History Month, I wanted to use this month of appreciation to reflect on the women’s suffrage movement and its legacy.
In the United States, the suffrage movement is mostly associated with middle-upper class white women which commenced in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention in upstate New York. This historic gathering of women created a list of gender-based demands to grant them equal rights to men. Despite the early suffrage movement mostly being associated with white women, in fact, Frederick Douglass, leader of the national abolition movement, and some African-American women were present at the convention. Their roles in the suffrage movement were highlighted recently by the New York Times [link]. However, racial inequities still persisted in the women’s rights movement. In one of the largest protests for women’s suffrage in March 1913, women of color were segregated and excluded by suffragists.
Establishing the right to vote for all women was a challenging and a long process. Before the 19th Amendment was passed, most states allowed women voting access and “partial voting.” After the 19th Amendment was ratified, most people thought that this granted voting access for all; however, this only prohibited states from discriminating against sexes. African-American, indigenous, and Asian-American women still did not have the same opportunities to be a part of our democracy. They faced literacy tests and poll taxes, and some even struggled to receive citizenship. Continued activism, including activism through media and arts, was crucial in helping to expand voting access to disenfranchised populations. Millions of women across the country fought with perseverance for over 50 years to reach their goal of universal suffrage. Although there are some controversies associated with this movement, it is foundational in the history of the United States and should be recognized and appreciated during Women’s History Month.
