(This conversation first aired on January 12, 2022)
Back in January of this year, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Atlanta to speak about the importance of voting rights, and the need for federal legislation to overcome the dozens of state laws that have been enacted and the hundreds of laws that are being considered to restrict voting.
Currently, legislation on voting rights continues to be at a standstill in the United States Congress with the stalling of two bills that seek to support voting access: The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and theFreedom to Vote Act. As American voters look forward to the 2022 midterm elections in November, we must also remember the significant progress made thus far for access to the ballot box.
Today on Midday, we revisit a conversation about an important and often overlooked dimension in the history of voting rights: the long fight for Black women’s suffrage.
Tom's guest is the acclaimed legal and cultural historian, Martha S. Jones. She has written a broad, insightful survey of the unsung heroes of the movement for equality, a movement that started two centuries ago, and which included scores of remarkable women whose importance and impact are made clear by Dr. Jones’ compelling narrative.
The book is called Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All.
Dr. Martha S. Jones joined us for the hour on Zoom, from her home in Baltimore.
(Because this conversation is recorded, we are not taking any calls or comments today.)
