Weston Historical Society Hosts Black Women’s Suffrage Program

Press release from The Weston Historical Society:

Feb. 26, 2021

In honor of Women’s History Month the Weston Historical Society, League of Women Voters of Weston, and the Weston Public Library are partnering to host the virtual lecture, “The Work Must By Done: Women of Color and the Right to Vote”, with guest presenters from the Connecticut Historical Society on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 6:30pm via Zoom. The event is free, but registration is required. Register via the Weston Public Library: www.westonpubliclibrary.org Zoom link will be emailed out by the Weston Public Library the day before the event.

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.

The Weston Historical Society would like to thank its annual sponsors: Fairfield County Bank and KMS Partners at Compass. The Weston Historical Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1961 with a mission to discover, collect, and preserve Weston's heritage and make it come alive in the context of local, regional, and world events for our residents and future generations. For more information, visit www.westonhistoricalsociety.org.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education, civil dialogue, and advocacy. For more information, visit www.lwvwestonct.org.

The Weston Public Library’s mission is to provide a broad range of informational, educational, technological, social and recreational resources to serve the diverse needs of the community. For more information, visit www.westonpubliclibrary.org.

This press release was produced by The Weston Historical Society. The views expressed here are the author's own.