The Heritage Society’s exhibit unveils trailblazing voting history of African American Women
On Friday, May 28, the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Houston Alumnae Chapter, and The Heritage Society, will gather at 4:30 PM, at Antioch Park, 1400 Smith St., to honor the impressive turnout of African American suffragists who voted on November 2, 1920. Special guest speakers include Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Harris County District Clerk Marilyn Burgess.
“The Houston Suffragists Project uncovered the story of how Houston women went to court challenging the Texas Constitution’s Jim Crow poll tax,” The Heritage Society’s executive director, Alison Bell said. “The suffragists’ victory resulted in an outpouring of 6,000 African American women and 8,000 white women voting in the first federal election after the ratification of the 19th Amendment.”
“Three African American women were on the ballot in 1920, and on Sundays in the Black churches, women taught each other how to vote,” the Houston Suffragists Project member, Rae Bryant said. “The Antioch Church women are a big part of this amazing civil rights story.” Bryant is also a volunteer curator for The Heritage Society’s suffrage exhibit “Houston Women Cast Their Ballots: Celebrating 100 Years of the Right to Vote!”.
“With our church located in the center of Freedman’s Town, we served as an integral community center in 1920,” Pastor Lou McElroy of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church said. “As the first African American church in Houston that was built and owned by former slaves in 1866, many of those members were still alive and put their lives on the line in the fight for women’s rights. It is in that same historic spirit in 1920 that we continue to advocate for women’s rights,” Pastor McElroy added.
“This unique suffragist story of Harris County Women from nearly 101 years ago gives us encouragement to continue fighting for our right to vote under challenging circumstances, which women and minorities once again face in Texas and throughout the country,” The Heritage Society’s board member Martha Whiting-Goddard said. “We are excited to recognize the past accomplishments of local women in Harris County and Texas, which provide us with the hope and determination to see our voting rights battles through, both now and in the future.”
During the free event, the organizations will celebrate the same spirit of joy and commitment as suffragists who persisted to gain the right to vote. Attendees are encouraged to wear ‘suffragist white’ dresses or purple and white attire to honor the NACW, the original African American women’s suffragists’ organization. Masks are required for the event, and a vaccination station inside the church is available.
Following a celebratory speech at Antioch Park, attendees will process/walk from the church to The Heritage Society. All are invited to enjoy special performances by the Meta-Four Houston Poetry Slam Team, light refreshments in the museum’s courtyard, and open tours of the suffrage exhibit at The Heritage Society’s museum until 6:30 PM.
More about the Exhibit: The Heritage Society’s current exhibit “Houston Women Cast Their Ballots: Celebrating 100 Years of the Right to Vote!” is available for regular tours, virtual tours, and private tours until Saturday, May 29, 2021. Sign up here. For more information about the event, click here.
More about The Heritage Society: The Heritage Society, a 501 (c)(3) organization, tells the stories of the diverse history of Houston and Texas through collections, exhibits, educational programs, film, video, and online content. Founded in 1954 by a number of public-spirited Houstonians to rescue the 1847 Kellum- Noble House from demolition, The Heritage Society has since saved an additional nine historic buildings, moved them from various locations to join the Kellum-Noble House in Sam Houston Park, and restored them to reflect their respective eras. These 10 buildings, along with the museum gallery, serve as historic reference points and exhibition spaces for more than 23,000 artifacts that document life in Houston from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. To see a 2021 calendar of events, head here. For more information about our safer private tour and event options in 2021, please contact info@heritagesociety.org.