October 29, 2020
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women in America the constitutional right to vote.
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, Willkie’s Women’s Professional Development Committee hosted Dr. Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, for a discussion of her recent book, Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All, on October 28.
In the webinar, Dr. Jones debunked several myths surrounding the political landscape for Black women after the amendment was passed. She spoke about the exceptional difficulties they encountered in casting their ballots: faced in many cases with threats of violence, they began to come together and organize, and in doing so paved the way for the next phase of the women’s voting movement.
Commenting on the current political moment of 2020, Dr. Jones noted that there are more than 120 Black women running for congress this year compared to the approximately 40 names that appeared on the ballot in 2018. Calling this figure “record-shattering,” she said, “This is our opportunity as a nation to understand their remarkable role as a force in politics today.”
Dr. Jones was introduced by Washington-based litigation associate Jameliah Yancey, who then joined Dr. Jones after the main presentation to facilitate a Q&A session.
For more information about Dr. Jones and her studies in Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All, please visit her website, here.