FORGOTTEN Women of Color in the Suffrage Movement
While often times the history of women’s suffrage and the passing of the 19thAmendment, which allowed women the right to vote, is taught or at least brushed over in American history classes, they often focus on a few white women who helped lead the efforts, excluding the stories of many women of color who also worked tirelessly for years for the movement for gender equality. While there are many women this article will focus on the stories of Mary Church Terrell and Mabel Ping-Hua Lee. Mary Church Terrell was born in 1863 free, to parents who had been enslaved. She was later accepted at Oberlin College, which was one of the first secondary schools to allow women and African Americans to enroll. While in school, she was invited to attend the inauguration of President Garfield, where she met Frederick Douglass, who inspired her to be an advocate for others. In 1884 she become one of the first Black women to earn a college degree another on her list of firsts. She had the ability to travel later returning to the United States where she co-founded and was the first president of the National Association of Colored
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Women. Mary wanted to be more active in the suffrage movement, so she joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She continued to live a legacy similar to Fredrick Douglass, speaking to large groups to advocate for gender and racial equality, inspiring countless women. Mabel Ping-Hua Lee moved to New York City as a Chinese immigrant in 1905. Her father was a minister and an active member of their community, gaining Mabel popularity in the community. Mabel was known for her intellect, attending Erasmus Hall High School and later attending Barnard College, and Columbia University. She was inspired by the suffrage movement and was eager to get involved, pushing her mother to join too. In 1912 Mabel led thousands of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans, in what is believed to be one of the largest suffrage parades in the country’s history, on a white horse adorn in suffrage colors. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Chinese immigrants including Mabel and her family were prevented from becoming citizens, and thus voting until 1943, over twenty years after the 19thamendment was passed. Mabel continued to fight for gender equality, especially in education.
