With all of the excitement surrounding the anniversary of the 19th Amendment people tend to think of white women, many whose names seem virtually interchangeable with the idea of women’s suffrage. While the contributions of women like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are well-known, African American women were also part of the movement for women’s suffrage. Their involvement was often stifled by racism and their contributions have gone largely ignored throughout the better part of the last century.
One woman who has been rediscovered in recent years leading up to the centennial is Ida Wells. Wells, a Chicago native who participated in a suffrage march organized by Alice Paul in Washington, D.C. in 1913, has been celebrated across social media and her face can even be seen on popular “Trailblazer” tee shirts for children (and adults). Because of this exposure, she is becoming “the face” of black women in the suffrage movement. This is an incomplete picture however. Unsurprisingly, Wells was not the only woman of color involved in the movement and visitors to “Truth Be Told” can learn the stories of other African American women working towards women’s suffrage. Visitors are introduced to Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, a newspaper creator whose work “contributed to the founding of the National Association of Colored Women,” and Nannie Burroughs, founder of the Women’s Convention. Telling the stories of these women is only part of the story being presented here though. The site also includes information about men helping the cause, mentions Chinese American and Mexican American activists, discusses the discrimination facing participants, and goes “Beyond the Vote” to discuss the continued fight facing women of color following the 19th Amendment. Photos of artifacts showcasing pamphlets, buttons, banners, and photographs of some of the women are also included, as well as references and sources for additional research.
A discussion of the fight for women’s suffrage which only includes a timeline of events featuring women like Alice Paul and Susan B. Anthony is not only incomplete, it is also discriminatory. The movement was not simply a fight for white women to win the vote, but a movement involving women of all races fighting for the right to act as full citizens and gain equality. “Truth Be Told” is a start to learning more just the soundbite history and knowing the names of women who fought for our rights.