8th Annual Jerrell H. Shofner Lecture Series on Florida History and Culture featuring Dr. Martha S. Jones
Monday, October 12, 2020 at 6pm

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When it comes to the story of women’s suffrage and the 19th Amendment, two myths dominate. The first is that when the Amendment became law, all American women won the vote. We even hear that women were thereby guaranteed the vote. The second is that, on the contrary, no Black American women
gained the vote in 1920 because racism kept them from the polls. In this anniversary year, it is time to replace myths with history.

The 19th Amendment provided: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” What precisely did that mean for American women? Getting to the polls still required struggle. And the battles waged 100 years ago – for giving teeth to constitutional right in the era of Jim Crow - echo in 2020 as American women continue to face voter suppression and battle for full access to the polls.

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Presented by the Florida Historical Quarterly and the UCF Department of History

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