This week’s documentary and the article “The Untold Stories of Black Women in the Suffrage Movement” and “One Hundred Years Towards Suffrage: An Overview” by E. Susan Barber were both educating and enlightening to watch and read. The video explains the struggle black women/slaves had to go through in a world where men are seen as the head. The timeline provided us with information about the changes and development that activists/women made starting from 1776-1923. They also explain how African American women fought to gain their freedom and rights in society. The timeline explains and gives us a sense of what women activists did to make sure that everyone had the same equal right in society. Taking Abigail Adams as an example, she wrote to her husband John, who is attending the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, asking that he and the other men–who were at work on the Declaration of Independence–“Remember the Ladies.” John responds with humor. The Declaration’s wording specifies that “all men are created equal.” Abigail Adams knowing, she was married to an influential man used that opportunity to make sure that women were included in the Declaration of Independence.  

The documentary “Untold stories of Black Women in the Suffrage Movement” talks about the suffering & oppression black women went through and how they were treated by people. The documentary centered on the story of Ida B. Wells who was a leader in the civil rights movement, and she was also born into slavery. Ida B. Wells was an African American journalist & educator. She was the co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She fought for the equality of African Americans, especially women. According to the documentary “The Untold Stories of Black Women in the Suffrage Movement, Women had fewer rights to do what they want, had no right to vote, and were considered less important in society unlike men. My classmate Fawzina Zack posted an image that also talked about these and the image quotes “Equality for women, votes for women, and give us the vote now.” women had to fight for everything to belong. Men were granted the right to vote and were allowed to hold higher positions more than African American women. Due to fear, intimidation, and later Jim crows’ laws, women could not exercise their right to vote. 

According to Ida B. Wells, African American women were intimidated and oppressed by white people, and she explained this through her publications, “Southern Horror: Lynch law in all its phases” which draws attention to the horrors of lynching. “Lynching was a barbaric practice of white in the south used to intimidate and oppress African Americans who created political competition. The documentary conveys and relays the conflict between radicals and conservatives, and male domination & women’s rights. Alongside Ida B. Wells were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. They fought to end slavery and partly ownership of women. Susan B. Anthony said, “I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the Negro and not the women.” She also said that women deceive to vote more than black men. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton also fought to eliminate discrimination on basis of gender. And according to the article “One Hundred Years Towards Suffrage: An Overview” by E. Susan Barber, they both “Formed the American Equal Rights Association, an organization for white & black women and men dedicated to the goal of universal suffrage. 

Even though the activists have worked to equalize voting, we somehow still struggle about it today. The discussions of women’s suffrage help us understand the reasons behind the movement and understanding our history helps us see what we can do for our future.