SPECIAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS ISSUE Celebrating 100 Years of the 19th Amendment A DIVERSITY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY NEW JERSEY STATE BAR FOUNDATION Women’s Suffrage, 100 Years and Counting by Jodi L. Miller On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment, which granted suffrage to women, was ratified by the states. It was a stunning achievement, representing the single largest influx of voters to the electorate in American history. The Women’s Suffrage Movement had a long and difficult journey beginning suffrage. Ultimately, 68 women and 32 men, including Frederick Douglass, an in 1848 with the first women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, NY, led abolitionist and ardent supporter of women’s suffrage, would sign the by well-known suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Like all declaration. The notion that women would seek any type of equality to men, movements, it met with resistance, and it took many people from all walks of life especially the vote, was met with ridicule. and different backgrounds to achieve its ultimate goal. “All women made this happen—working women, immigrant Why the resistance? women, African American women,” says Dr. Betty Livingston “From the beginning the country has been a patriarchal Adams, a historian and former university professor. “Elite white society,” notes Dr. Livingston Adams. “In an all male electorate women could not have done this alone.” with wealthy men in power, why would they want to expand At that first women’s rights convention, the Declaration the franchise?” of Sentiments was introduced. It was based on the Declaration Men definitely made their displeasure about women’s of Independence and included 12 resolutions related to desire for the vote known. Dr. Deirdre Foreman, a Sociology women’s rights, the most controversial being the call for women’s professor at Ramapo College of New Jersey, points out that both CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT A Victory For Some, Not For All by Jodi L. Miller For some women the passage of the 19th Amendment wasn’t the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new struggle. While the 19th Amendment stated that a citizen’s right to vote “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex,” voting laws were determined by the states. In the 1920 presidential election, nearly eight behind, despite the passage of the 19th Amendment. Institute, a women’s rights organization, named after million women voted, but many more were left Lucienne Beard, executive director of the Alice Paul the well-known suffragist, argues that no one was CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO SPECIAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS ISSUE • PAGE TWO Victory for Some CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE left behind, maintaining that suffragists worked for to vote until the passage of the Immigration and Double discrimination an amendment to allow ALL women the right to vote. Nationality Act of 1952. Black women, then and now, not only have to It was individual states that suppressed the vote, African American women living in the deal with sexism but racism as well. In 1892, Anna she says. South would wait even longer. They were Julia Cooper, a prominent African American scholar, Native American women, for example, disenfranchised just as their male wrote A Voice from the South by a Black Woman from would not gain citizenship until the counterparts had been after the 15th the South. In it, Cooper wrote about what it meant to Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 and Amendment , which granted Black men be both Black and a woman or what she called, “the even then some western states, the right to vote, was passed. Southern woman question and the race problem.” Cooper including Arizona, New Mexico and states instituted poll taxes, impossible- wrote, “The colored woman of today occupies…a Utah, barred them from voting. to-pass literacy tests and other barriers unique position in this country…She is confronted The Chinese Exclusion Act limited to keep African Americans from even by both a women question and a race problem, and immigration from China and severely registering to vote, let alone actually is yet an unknown or an unacknowledged factor in restricted the rights of Chinese casting a ballot. It wouldn’t be until 1965 both.” Americans, including denying them and the passage of the Voting Rights In her book, Black Women’s Christian Activism, Act (VRA) that Black women and men citizenship. Chinese American Dr. Betty Livingston Adams, a historian and former in the South would be granted their women would not gain the right university professor, points out that Black women constitutional right to vote. Black women activists, were rejected for church leadership positions like Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Dorothy because of their gender and from women’s groups Acceptance DIVERSITY Equality Racial Equality issues Height, would continue the fight, working along side Immigration Rights Sexual Identity Acceptance DIVERSITY Equality because of their race. issuesDr. Martin Luther King Jr., to make that happen. Racial Equality Immigration Rights Sexual IdentitAcceptance DIVERSITY Equality Black women also had to fight against the Racial Equality Immigration Rights Sexual IdentitAcceptance DIVERSITY EqualityThe VRA prohibited discrimination in voting issues Racial Equality Immigration Rights Sexual IdentitAcceptance DIVERSITY Equality prejudices of Black men, who Dr. Livingston Adams issues nationwide on the basis of race or being a member Racial Equality Immigration Rights SexualRespect Identit Acceptance DIVERSITY Equality Racial Equality says, like white men, “bought into the separate issues Respect issues of a language minority group. The Act also eliminated sphere ideology,” believing that women didn’t need This publication was made possible literacy tests as a means to disenfranchise voters. through funding from the the vote. A special provision of the VRA was Section 5, which IOLTA Fund of the Bar of New Jersey. Dr. Livingston Adams writes in her book that required certain jurisdictions with a history of obtaining the vote meant something different for Jodi L. Miller discrimination to obtain preclearance from Editor Black women. “For women who had to fight for the U.S. Attorney General before implementing respect from white women and black and white Editorial Advisory Board any changes to voting laws. Jurisdictions covered men, the ballot represented personal protection and Robyn B. Gigl, Esq. by Section 5 included nine states in their entirety Chair social justice.” (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mary M. Ace, LCSW Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia), as Naeem Akhtar, Esq. Keeping power well as parts of six other states (California, Florida, Hon. Kim C. Belin Just as gender and race are bound together for New York, North Carolina, Michigan and South Tamara Britt, Esq. Black women, they are connected in terms of voting Risa M. Chalfin, Esq. Dakota). The provision was meant to expire after five rights as well. Dr. Deirdre Foreman, an adjunct Eli L. Eytan, Esq. years; however, Section 5 was renewed five times Sociology professor at Ramapo College of New Jersey Norberto A. Garcia, Esq. by Congress. Unfortunately, with its 2013 decision John F. Gillick, Esq. and associate director of its Equal Opportunity Fund, in Shelby v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court struck Hon. Lisa James-Beavers says that the 19th Amendment was always tied to down Section 4 of the VRA, which has essentially Ronald G. Lieberman, Esq. white supremacy and keeping power. Wendy Allyson Reek, Esq. left Section 5 of the Act unenforceable. Section In 1919, when Congress was debating whether Cheyne R. Scott, Esq. 4 contained the formula for determining what to vote for the 19th Amendment, race and the 15th Margaret Leggett Tarver, Esq. jurisdictions were covered under Section 5. Brandon L. Wolff, Esq. Amendment were on their minds. During debates Thomas A. Zeringo in the Senate, South Carolina Senator Ellison ©2020 New Jersey State Bar Foundation CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE SPECIAL WOMEN’S RIGHTS ISSUE • PAGE THREE Victory for Some CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWO Smith said, “The Southern man who votes for the Historian Rosalyn Terborg-Penn wrote, Why is the right to vote so important, that Susan B. Anthony Amendment votes to ratify the “Within a few years, white supremacy was victorious women collectively fought for 72 years, and then, in 15th Amendment.” He called the 19th Amendment the case of African American women, for 45 more? “a crime against white civilization” and said that “Voting rights is a gateway to political power,” extending voting rights “to the other half of the Negro “If you have the right Dr. Foreman says. “If you have the right to vote, race would unleash new evils.” you are part of the jury system, you’re able to Dr. Livingston Adams says that white suffragists to vote, you are part run for office and make decisions about your were often willing to betray minorities in order to of the jury system, neighborhood.” obtain the vote for themselves. Dr. Foreman notes that it is important to vote, For example, in a letter to a Southern you’re able to run not just in national elections, but also in local ones. congressman, Carrie Chapman Catt, president of for office and make “Local legislators, mayor, governor—those elections the National American Woman Suffrage Association affect your day-to-day life,” she says. “Until our (NAWSA) wrote, “The present condition in the South decisions about your elected officials are more diverse and representative makes sovereigns of some negro men, while neighborhood.” of the country, things won’t change.” all white women are their subjects. These are sad In other words, without a vote, you have no but solemn truths. If you want white supremacy, why voice. • not have it constitutionally, honorably? The Federal throughout the South.