#suffrage movement

A Historical Deep Dive into the Founders of Black Womanism & Modern Feminism

Six African American Suffragettes Mainstream History Tried to Forget

These amazing Black American women each advanced the principles of modern feminism and Black womanism by insisting on an intersectional approach to activism. They understood that the struggles of race and gender were intertwined, and that the liberation of Black women was essential. Their writings, speeches, and actions have continued to inspire movements addressing systemic inequities, while affirming the voices of marginalized women who have shaped society. Through their amazing work, they have expanded the scope of womanism and intersectional feminism to include racial justice, making it more inclusive and transformative.

Anna Julia Cooper (1858–1964)

Quote: “The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class—it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity.”

Contribution: Anna Julia Cooper was an educator, scholar, and advocate for Black women’s empowerment. Her book A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South (1892) is one of the earliest articulations of Black feminist thought. She emphasized the intellectual and cultural contributions of Black women and argued that their liberation was essential to societal progress. Cooper believed education was the key to uplifting African Americans and worked tirelessly to improve opportunities for women and girls, including founding organizations for Black women’s higher education. Her work challenged both racism and sexism, laying the intellectual foundation for modern Black womanism.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825–1911)

Quote: “We are all bound together in one great bundle of humanity, and society cannot trample on the weakest and feeblest of its members without receiving the curse in its own soul.”

Contribution: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was a poet, author, and orator whose work intertwined abolitionism, suffrage, and temperance advocacy. A prominent member of the American Equal Rights Association, she fought for universal suffrage, arguing that Black women’s voices were crucial in shaping a just society. Her 1866 speech at the National Woman’s Rights Convention emphasized the need for solidarity among marginalized groups, highlighting the racial disparities within the feminist movement. Harper’s writings, including her novel Iola Leroy, offered early depictions of Black womanhood and resilience, paving the way for Black feminist literature and thought.

Ida B. Wells (1862–1931)

Quote: “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

Contribution: Ida B. Wells was a fearless journalist, educator, and anti-lynching activist who co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Her investigative reporting exposed the widespread violence and racism faced by African Americans, particularly lynchings. As a suffragette, Wells insisted on addressing the intersection of race and gender in the fight for women’s voting rights. At the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade in Washington, D.C., she famously defied instructions to march in a segregated section and joined the Illinois delegation at the front, demanding recognition for Black women in the feminist movement. Her activism laid the groundwork for modern feminisms inclusion of intersectionality, emphasizing the dual oppressions faced by Black women.

Sojourner Truth (1797–1883)

Quote: “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Contribution: Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth became a powerful voice for abolition, women's rights, and racial justice after gaining her freedom. Her famous 1851 speech, "Ain’t I a Woman?" delivered at a women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio, directly challenged the exclusion of Black women from the feminist narrative. She highlighted the unique struggles of Black women, who faced both racism and sexism, calling out the hypocrisy of a movement that often-centered white women’s experiences. Truth’s legacy lies in her insistence on equality for all, inspiring future generations to confront the intersecting oppressions of race and gender in their advocacy.

Nanny Helen Burroughs (1879–1961)

Quote: “We specialize in the wholly impossible.”

Contribution: Nanny Helen Burroughs was an educator, activist, and founder of the National Training School for Women and Girls in Washington, D.C., which emphasized self-sufficiency and vocational training for African American women. She championed the "Three B's" of her educational philosophy: Bible, bath, and broom, advocating for spiritual, personal, and professional discipline. Burroughs was also a leader in the Women's Convention Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention, where she pushed for the inclusion of women's voices in church leadership. Her dedication to empowering Black women as agents of social change influenced both the feminist and civil rights movements, promoting a vision of racial and gender equality.

Elizabeth Piper Ensley (1847–1919)

Quote: “The ballot in the hands of a woman means power added to influence.”

Contribution: Elizabeth Piper Ensley was a suffragist and civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in securing women’s suffrage in Colorado in 1893, making it one of the first states to grant women the vote. As a Black woman operating in the predominantly white suffrage movement, Ensley worked to bridge racial and class divides, emphasizing the importance of political power for marginalized groups. She was an active member of the Colorado Non-Partisan Equal Suffrage Association and focused on voter education to ensure that women, especially women of color, could fully participate in the democratic process. Ensley’s legacy highlights the importance of coalition-building in achieving systemic change.

To honor these pioneers, we must continue to amplify Black women's voices, prioritizing intersectionality, and combat systemic inequalities in race, gender, and class.

Modern black womanism and feminist activism can expand upon these little-known founders of woman's rights by continuously working on an addressing the disparities in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for marginalized communities. Supporting Black Woman-led organizations, fostering inclusive black femme leadership, and embracing allyship will always be vital.

involves two black women suffragists, directly bringing up lynching multiple times as that is what one of the suffragists specifically advocated against. both get songs and are not characterized as the enemy, along with calling out the white main characters on their playing down of black women's involvement

Dame Christabel Pankhurst

Artist: Ethel Wright (British, 1866-1939

Dated: Exhibited 1909

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Depicted Person:

Dame Christabel Pankhurst (1880-1958), Suffragette and co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU); political activist; evangelist for the Second Adventist movement.

Christabel Pankhurst was a suffrage campaign leader who organised spectacular rallies and processions calling for ‘Votes for Women’. Her strategies became increasingly militant, escalating to include arson and bombing.

Dubbed ‘The Strongest Woman in the World’ during her lifetime, Katie Sandwina (1884–1952) astonished audiences with her feats of strength—all while balancing a career, family life, and activism.

A rising star

Katie, born Catherine Brumbach, came from an Austrian circus family. Both her parents were known for their impressive physiques and regularly performed feats of strength. As the eldest daughter, she trained from a young age in acrobatics, trapeze, and weightlifting. Several of her sisters would also pursue athletic careers.

Katie’s father famously offered money to anyone who could defeat her in a wrestling match—but Katie never lost. She reportedly met her future husband, acrobat Max Heymann, after defeating him in one of these matches.

In 1902, Katie traveled to New York, where she allegedly outlifted the renowned strongman Eugene Sandow. According to the story, she hoisted over her head a weight that Sandow could only raise to his chest.

The Strongest Woman in the World

By 1905, Katie was a rising star on the international stage. She adopted the name Sandwina, a feminized version of Sandow, and began performing with her husband—effortlessly lifting him over her head. She sometimes did so in a “manual of arms” position, with Max playing the part of the rifle.

Katie’s act also included other breathtaking demonstrations: lifting three men at once, breaking chains, bending iron bars, juggling cannonballs, and lying on a bed of nails. Her performances were wildly successful, and she earned up to $1,500 a week.

During the 1920s, Siegmund Breitbart, who called himself “The Strongest Man in the World,” was said to cancel or postpone his shows if he happened to be performing in the same town as Katie— for fear of being upstaged.

She was praised as “The World’s Strongest Woman,” “A Wonder of Female Strength,” and “The Lady Hercules.” Katie fascinated the public because she subverted traditional gender roles by being taller and stronger than her husband, while also embodying traditionally feminine traits like beauty and motherhood.

Katie gave birth to two sons, Theodore and Alfred—the former went on to become a boxer. Remarkably, she performed in two shows the night before giving birth to her first child.

Katie was also a passionate advocate for women’s suffrage. In 1912, she was named vice-president of the suffrage group formed within the Barnum & Bailey Circus. She soon earned the nickname Sandwina the Suffragette. Her activism countered a common argument against women’s voting rights—that only those physically strong enough to defend their rights deserved to vote.

Retirement

Katie continued performing well into her fifties. After retiring from the stage, she remained in excellent shape and opened a neighborhood tavern in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The billboards outside still billed her as The Strongest Woman in the World.

Her husband did the cooking, her son worked the bar. Katie sometimes entertained patrons even into her sixties by bending iron bars, breaking chains, and lifting her husband, just as she had on stage. She had her own way of dealing with troublemakers too: a 1947 article recounts how she “floored the bruiser with one punch for the whole count and gave him a thorough lesson as she tossed him out.”

Katie Sandwina died of cancer in 1952.

If you enjoy this blog, consider supporting me on Ko-fi!

Further reading: 

Fair John D., “Kati Sandwina, ‘Hercules can be a lady’”

Hulls Tessa, “The Great Sandwina, Circus Strongwoman and restaurateur”

Simon Linda, The Greatest Shows on Earth A History of the Circus

Shapley Haley, Strong like her

Nédélec Marie, “Katie Sandwina ou un Sandow au féminin”