Professor sheds light on overlooked aspect of women's suffrage movement

Today, Aug. 26, Americans celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote.

Dr. Mary Henold, John R. Turbyfill Professor of History at Roanoke College, wrote a column for History News Network about one major factor this centennial celebration ignores: the fact that women of color, particularly in the South, were systematically denied the vote for decades following the 19th Amendment.

“For too long this date has been taught as a triumphant conclusion of the story of a movement, when for millions of women of color, it was only a painful moment of exclusion that served to prolong white supremacy,” Henold wrote.

Henold’s column is the featured post on the History News Network website.