Introduction
The suffrage movement played a pivotal role in shifting perceptions of gender roles in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a well-known fact, but fewer people know that there was an abundance of discriminatory and racist moods among suffragists. For instance, Susan B. Anthony was a prominent female suffragist in the 19th century. Still, she advanced the movement through a vision of a successful white woman rather than embracing racial equality. Ultimately, the current essay explores the topic of racist arguments deployed by suffragists, which, in my opinion, were not justified.
Anthony’s Contributions to Suffragism
Susan B. Anthony has undoubtedly made significant contributions to the suffrage movement and the eventual recognition of women’s right to vote. She employed tactics that portrayed white women as powerful, wealthy, and politically active (Lange, 2020). This strategy was first employed by Frederick Douglass, who referred to elegant black men in his anti-slavery manifestos, and Anthony adopted a similar approach (Lange, 2020). However, Anthony and her successors, such as Alice Paul, excluded black women because of potential racial tension and opposition from the wealthy white social class (Jones, 2020). In other words, they were afraid that the suffragists’ support for women of color would be rejected by 19th- and early 20th-century American society.
Moreover, Anthony spent years creating a perfect image and reputation of a suffragist woman. She must’ve been white, wealthy, beautiful, and possessed other prominent features that were adored by society (Lange, 2020). In her letters, Anthony used phrases such as “best eyes, best hair, best mouth” to critique the portrayal of suffragists in newspapers and cartoons (Lange, 2020, para. 14). According to the standards of 19th-century America, with its prevalent racism, black women did not fit this description. Hence, Anthony traded the commitment to racial equality for political expediency.
Personal Opinion on Anthony’s Statements
Personally, I do not believe that the means justify the ends, and I disagree with many statements made by Anthony and other relatively radical suffragists. Racism and sexism are related types of discrimination, and fighting for only one of them can make the problem worse for the other. This phenomenon occurred in the 19th century during the initial parts of the suffragist movement, when improving the image of a white woman made the lives of black women much harder (Lange, 2020). I can understand why Anthony and her colleagues were hesitant about joining forces with women of color in the 19th century, but I still believe their approach was misguided.
Moreover, history showed that the erasure of black women from the discourse was not necessarily beneficial for the movement. For example, in 1913, women of color, including Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, participated in the suffrage parade despite being rejected by Alice Paul (Jones, 2020). Some news outlets highly praised the efforts of these two black women for their courage and determination, and it was generally a positive sign for suffragists (Jones, 2020). Naturally, some people were not happy with this development. Still, the emergence of such activists as Terrel and Wells in the movement encouraged people of color to fight for their rights (Jones, 2020). Moreover, I believe that it could’ve been done earlier if Anthony had embraced collaboration with black women instead of pushing them away.
Conclusion
The question of whether the means justify the ends is complex, but in the case of the suffrage movement, I believe that white suffragists should have collaborated with women of color from the start. The focus on one image of a successful white woman by Susan B. Anthony led to the erasure of black women from political discourse. Although it is challenging to assess accurately, this development could have further aggravated the issue of racism in America. Ultimately, while Anthony was fighting for women’s rights, she intentionally abandoned the commitment to racial equality, which I believe was wrong.
References
Jones, M. S. (2020). The US suffragette movement tried to leave out Black women. They showed up anyway. The Guardian.
Lange, A. K. (2020). How Susan B. Anthony became the most recognizable suffragist. National Park Service.