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RECONSTRUCTION ERA

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May 1866: African American Women and Equal Rights

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May 1866: African American Women and Equal Rights

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Anti-Slavery Activist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, stood beside white sufferagists, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, at the 11th National Woman's Rights Convention in New York. Harper helped form the American Equal Rights Association at the convention.

The American Equal Rights Association vowed to "secure Equal Rights to all American citizens, especially the Right of Suffrage, irrespective of race, color, or sex." which was a huge step to the voting rights of African American men and women.

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In 1867, the Reconstruction Acts were passed which put states under military rule until they followed the 14th Amendment which guaranteed equal rights and protections for African Americans.

Black men were finally allowed to vote and hold office which allowed them to strengthen and protect civil rights. Black women unfortunately couldn't vote but could still attend political meetings and provide their input on issues.

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WOMEN'S SUFFERAGE

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The woman's suffrage movement was known for discriminating against Black women and only fought for the rights of White Women. The National Association of Colored Women (NACW) was established, electing Mary Church Terrell as its first President. The organization not only fought for women's rights but also raised awareness on other issues that affected African Americans such as lynchings and temperance.

Despite being the strongest advocates for women's right to vote, black women were discriminated against by white activists. It's a shame that history doesn't necessarily address the Prejudice and Racism that occurred during the suffrage movement because now we only learn about the white activists that didn't truly fight for everyone's rights.

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The 19th Amendment was approved in 1920 and granted women the right to vote. However, loopholes were still found to prevent black women from voting just like how the 15th Amendment didn't fully allow black men the right to vote. It took 4 more decades and a mass civil rights movement called "The Second Reconstruction" to fully promise the voting rights for African Americans.

White Americans always preached "freedom for all" and white women even fought for the voting rights for WOMEN and still found a way to leave Black people out of it. I think the women's suffrage women did a lot for our world today but it's absolutely disgusting how people who we were taught to preach (ex. Susan B. Anthony) didn't actually fight for the rights for ALL women.

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CIVIL RIGHTS

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When the 15th and 19th Amendments were established to grant black men and women the right to vote, there were laws put in place that continued to restrict the voting rights of African Americans. The Second Reconstruction, a century after the end of slavery and the first Reconstruction, was a mass civil rights movement to claim the full rights of citizenship (+ the right to vote) for all African Americans.

In March 1965, Hosea Williams and John Lewis organized a march for voting rights in Alabama where 600 marchers stopped outside of Selma by Alabama law enforcement officers who brutally attacked the non-violent protesters. The attack was called "Bloody Sunday" and caused a second walk at Selma which aided the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act 5 months later.

It's really infuriating to see how things still haven't really changed today when it comes to police officers attacking peaceful movements. It's so inspiring to read that people kept fighting for their right to vote even with the fear of marching after Bloody Sunday. Their resilience paid off, though, when the Voting Rights Act was passed later.

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President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the Voting Rights ct to Congress in March 1965. Congress faced pressure from the voter registration protests in Selma and passed the act within 4 months. Literacy tests, poll taxes, and other obstacles that prevented Black Americans from voting were lifted with the act.

This act gave Black Americans the opportunity to continue to vote for their rights and use their voices to help theirs and other marginalized communities.

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CONTINUING THE FIGHT

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During the 2000 Presidential Election, reports of voter suppression to stop black people from voting were reported. The NAACP prompted a lawsuit and helped the Help America Vote Act pass in 2002. The goal of the act was to improve the election process nationwide, requiring updated voting machines and better voter registration lists to ensure eligible voters weren't refused access to the ballot.

We need to continue to ensure all groups will have the right to vote so decisions can be made by more diverse outlooks and opinions. Black people are constantly facing some sort of voter suppression and it's absolutely unfair to them because they have a voice that everyone needs to hear.

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Congress passed the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Cesar E. Chavez, Barbara Jordan, William Velasquez and Dr. Hector Garcia Voting Rights Act Re-authorization and Amendments Act. The act extended the 1965 Voting Rights Act and helped to continue to prevent voter fraud. 2008 saw the most racially and ethnically diverse voter turnout in U.S. History. Black women even had the highest voter turnout rate of any other racial, ethnic, and gender group.

It's so incredible to hear that Black women had the highest voter turnout in 2008 because it's proof that we're moving forward when it comes to Voting Rights. I know there are still reports of voter fraud and laws being made to once again find loopholes to stop marginalized groups from voting, bu hopefully people keep fighting for the rights that everyone deserves. again, this is proof of that.

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1863-1954

Mary Church Terrell was a part of the rising black middle and upper class who used their position to fight racial discriminations. Terrell's parents were strong believers in the importance of an education which pursued Terrell to be one of the first Black women to get bachelors and Masters college degrees. Her activism was sparked in 1892, when an old friend, Thomas Moss, was lynched in Memphis by whites because his business competed with theirs.

As NACW president, Terrell campaigned tirelessly among black organizations and mainstream white organizations, writing and speaking extensively. She also actively embraced women’s suffrage, which she saw as essential to elevating the status of black women, and consequently, the entire race. She actively campaigned for black women’s suffrage.

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1926-2000

In 1963 Williams became one of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most trusted lieutenants in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He helped carry out the voter registration initiatives during the 1964 Freedom Summer. On March 7, 1965 - "Bloody Sunday" - Williams and fellow activist John Lewis withstood beatings by police at the Edmond Pettus Bridge as they attempted to lead the Selma to Montgomery March.

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In the past and present, we've seen many examples of Black citizens being discriminator against when I came to voting rights. The suffrage movement only really fought for the voting rights of white women, even though Black Women were the strongest advocates for the movement. However, many Acts and Laws were put in place to ensure the voting rights of Black Citizens such as the Reconstruction Acts of 1867, the 19th Amendment of 1920, the Voting rights Act of 1956, and the Help America Vote Act of 2000. It's really amazing to see how one small step can lead to bigger accomplishments in Voting Rights. I think we all need to make sure that we know the truth of the early voting rights movements because they truly started the battle so bigger steps could be made. Because more voting rights were given to Black people, they slowly got more power to vote for the laws that they needed to give them more rights to vote marry, and literally exist.