As we celebrate Afro History Month, I want to honour the legacy of three Afo women activists who played crucial roles in the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s.
These women organized boycotts, sit-ins, and peaceful protests. For example, the Freedom Rides in 1961 and the March on Washington in 1963 were pivotal moments in their activism.
They organised boycotts, sit-ins, and peaceful protests. For instance, in 1961, the Freedom Rides, and in 1963, the March on Washington.
These Afro women activists also faced challenges, including unequal treatment from some black men within the movement.
Dorothy Height ( 1912-2010)
Known as the “Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement,” Dorothy Height began her activism in the 1930s, advocating for women’s rights on issues such as unemployment, illiteracy, and voter participation. For over 40 years, she served as president of the National Council of Negro Women and was one of the organizers of the March on Washington. She had a significant influence on leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis.
Daisy Bates(1914-1999)
An activist, journalist, and publisher from Arkansas, Daisy Bates and her husband founded The Arkansas Press in 1941, a publication focused on African American stories and civil rights advocacy. After the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation unconstitutional, Bates played a vital role in school desegregation by mentoring and organising the “Little Rock Nine,” the students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
Claudette Colvin (1935-)
A member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Claudette Colvin relied on buses to get to school because her family did not own a car. At age 15 in 1955, she courageously refused to give up her seat on a crowded Montgomery bus to a white woman, despite the law requiring her to do so. For this act of defiance, she was forcibly removed and arrested. The following year, she testified in the court case Gayle v. Browder, which helped end transportation segregation in Alabama.
These remarkable Afro women activists left their mark in the USA and beyond. Today, in my hometown of Puerto Cabezas, Bilwi, Nicaragua, many women continue to do incredible work for Afro communities. Among them are Shira Miguel, Deborah Bust, Erna Patterson, Lidice Gammie, and many others.
Can you share the story of an Afro woman activist from your community?
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