The Work Must Be Done: Women of Color and the Right to Vote

Monday, March 22, 2021 at 6:30pm

Zoom - Virtual Lecture

Please join the Weston Historical Society, League of Women Voters of Weston and the Weston Public Library for this special event in honor of Women's History Month.

Registration Required. Register through the Weston Public Library Site

Inspired by the words of notable African American reformer and political activist, Mary Townsend Seymour, “the work must be done”, the Connecticut Historical Society presents exciting new research about Connecticut’s women of color who worked for women’s suffrage. Professor Brittney Yancy, Assistant Professor of Humanities, Goodwin University and Karen Li Miller, Research Historian from the Connecticut Historical Society will raise up the stories of women such as Mrs. Seymour, Rose Payton, Minnie Glover, Sarah Brown Flemming, and others. The program includes conversation on the importance of having inclusive history. Participants will gain a broader understanding of the role women of color played in the women’s suffrage movement and of the restrictions, stemming from systemic racism, that limited women of color from being more officially involved in the movement. The program aims to inspire community members to engage in additional research on these women.

Brittney Yancy is an Assistant Professor of Humanities and History Curriculum Coordinator at Goodwin University. Professor Yancy’s research focuses on 20th century social movements, urban radicalism, critical race theory, women’s activism, and black women’s political and intellectual history. Her publications include entries in the Encyclopedia for African American History (Oxford University Press, 2009) and entries in The World of Jim Crow Encyclopedia (Greenwood Press, 2019). Her research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Harvard University’s Schlesinger Library Grant, Andrew W. Mellow Foundation, Social Science Research Council, and National Council of Black Studies. Her honors include being selected as one of the 2017 100 Women of Color in Hartford, UCONN Women of Color Award, and a host of awards from the National Council of Black Studies and the University of Connecticut.

She belongs to several professional organizations, including National Council of Black Studies and the Association for the Study of African American History and Culture. In 2018, she was appointed the Greater Hartford Ambassador to the United State of Women. Her civic organizations include Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she is entering 17 years of service. Professor Yancy holds a B.A. in History from Hampton University, and her M.A. degree in History is from the University of Connecticut. This fall, Professor Yancy will complete her doctoral degree in 20th century US History from the University of Connecticut.

Karen Li Miller (pronounced Lie) is a research historian at the Connecticut Historical Society and a Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies at Trinity College. She earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Connecticut, a M.A. from California State University, Chico and a B.A. from Santa Clara University. Her interests include multi-ethnic, women's, children's, and material culture studies. She co-curated the recent pop-up exhibit, Rise Up! Sisters a joint project between the CHS and the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.

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