
In this example, because they are African American.Īctivism: To take action to try and change something. Racism: To treat someone worse, be unfair towards someone because of their race. Sexism: In this example, to treat someone worse, be unfair towards someone because they are a woman. Ratification: To make something official. This year, as we remember the ratification of the 19 th Amendment, we should also remember the women, like Mary Church Terrell, who fought for their right to vote. She continued to fight for equal rights for the rest of her life. While Mary lived to see her hard work pay off with the right to vote in 1920, she did not stop being an activist.

Presidents of the NACW, Tennessee State Museum Collection. In a speech to the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA), she asked the white suffragists to, “stand up not only for the oppressed, but also for the oppressed race!” The members faced racism in the suffrage movement, and Mary helped raise awareness of their struggle. One of the group’s causes was women’s right to vote. Mary served as the group’s first president, and they used the motto “lifting as we climb.” Harriet Tubman and Ida B. She helped start the National Association of Colored Women* (NACW). Mary’s activism meant that she was a part of many different groups. As an African American woman, Mary experienced the sexism faced by women in the United States and the racism towards African Americans. She used her education to fight for people to be treated equally for the rest of her life. She graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio. As a result, Mary received a very good education. Though both her parents were born into slavery, they became one of the wealthiest African American families in the country. Mary Church Terrell was born during the Civil War on Septemin Memphis, Tennessee. Mary Church Terrell, Tennessee State Museum Collection. One of these Tennessee suffragists was Mary Church Terrell. They did this by protesting, making speeches, marching in suffrage parades, and writing to their representatives. Over the years, many Tennessee women fought for their right to vote. Their hard work led to Tennessee making this change.

It is important to remember the hard work of Tennessee suffragists (suffrage supporters). It was the 36 th state and final state needed to pass the amendment. Tennessee played an important role in women’s right to vote. While this still did not mean everyone could vote at the time, it was a big step in the history of voting rights (suffrage) in America. This amendment, or change, to the Constitution says that, “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” In other words, you can’t keep someone from voting just because they are a woman. Capital Maintenance and Improvements GrantsĪugwill be 100 years since the ratification of the 19 th Amendment to the Constitution.The Modern Movement for Civil Rights in Tennessee.Transforming America: Tennessee on the World War II Homefront.Understanding Women's Suffrage: Tennessee's Perfect 36.

The Three Rs of Reconstruction: Rights, Restrictions and Resistance.The Lives of Three Tennessee Slaves and Their Journey Towards Freedom.The Age of Jackson and Tennessee’s Legendary Leaders.Cherokee in Tennessee: Their Life, Culture, and Removal.The Life and Times of the First Tennesseans.

