The spirit of self-determination forged in Lawrence women’s earliest days influenced the later fight for suffrage. Kansas women, not content to wait, tried countless ways to gain the vote. Politically-minded women protested, wrote letters to their legislators, and used social causes and campaigns to organize and exert their influence as citizens.
National and local suffrage organizations, largely organized by affluent white women, did not include, and frequently sought to exclude, African American women, despite the efforts of African American suffragists. The National Association of Colored Women (NACW) was formed in 1896 by African American reformers and social clubs. It became an organizing body for African American women’s suffrage.
Suffrage brought together a variety of African American career women, including teachers such as Mary Dillard and Carrie Langston, a journalist for The Atchison Blade and mother to poet Langston Hughes.
Mary Dillard
Douglas County Historical Society
Langston encouraged African American women to demand equality in all areas of life, including the vote. At the end of the 1916 National Convention, NACW formally passed a resolution to support the women’s suffrage amendment.
This year, Lawrence resident Christina Haswood made history. A member of the Navajo Nation, she grew up in poverty and gained an appreciation for how disparities in health care and government support affect populations such as hers.
On August 4, 2020, Haswood beat out two challengers to secure her party's nomination. With no opposing candidate, she is expected to win the election in November. When she takes her seat, Haswood will be the youngest representative in Kansas Legislature history as well as its third American Indian.
Christina Haswood’s story demonstrates the power and potential of democracy. You can do your own part by voting in every election and supporting the work of organizations like the League of Women Voters!