The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters

The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters explores ways in which these women have been marginalized and recognizes how their contributions will positively influence the organization as it moves into its next 100 years.

On February 14, 2020, the League of Women Voters of the United States celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding. Although women of color have always made significant contributions to women’s suffrage and the women’s movements, their contributions, particularly as they relate to the League of Women Voters (LWV), have been marginalized and relegated to the footnotes of the organization’s history. The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters adds a new dimension to these conversations.

The book is structured to show the progression of the relationship between the League of Women Voters and its members of color as manifested in changes to its policies, practices, symbols, and messaging. It begins with the suffrage movement and continues until the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the League and uses actual correspondence, convention minutes, existing League histories, and personal accounts to tell the League story. Chapter titles disclose the philosophical shifts in attitude at each stage of the organization’s evolution.

Celebrates the 100-year history of the League of Women Voters and the contributions of women of color

Provides an accurate, comprehensive account of history in this grassroots membership organization

Explores the unique challenges that women of color faced in the United States and in its mainstream organizations

Argues that the League must learn from the past and make intentional decisions to change for the future to remain relevant in the next phase of its history