The achievement of the Suffragette movement is truly momentous; however, not all women were included as the 19th Amendment provided against discrimination based on gender but not race. The hard reality was that, for women of color, the fight would continue another 45 years until the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Women such as Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, Mary Mcleod Bethune, Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (a.k.a. Zitkála-Sá), and hundreds more continued the fight for voting equality.   

 

We honor these women who, against all odds, won the day through over 100 years of picket lines (fun fact, Suffragettes were the first group in the U.S. who had the gall to run a picketing campaign on the White House!), protests, and demonstrations. Women who endured beatings from police officers, who defaced several national memorials, and generally got into all sorts of "Good Trouble." At the same time, we also recognize that the fight is far from over as discrimination, police brutality, and unequal voting opportunities are still held at the core of our nations infrastructure. In the end, we celebrate the accomplishments of those who came before and strive to continue their good work.   

 

For more information (including articles and short Biographies on key women) on Women's Suffrage please see the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission's website.