Turning Point Suffrage Memorial

by Hope Royer, WHRC Committee Chairman

Virginia historic marker E 61 in Fairfax County marks the site of the Occoquan Workhouse. Under construction on that site today is the Turning Point Suffrage Memorial. The Memorial, a cornerstone of a planned public park redevelopment, will commemorate the five million women who fought for seven decades to win ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – the right for American women to vote.

The November 14, 2019, groundbreaking date coincided precisely with the 102nd anniversary of the infamous November 14, 1917, "Night of Terror.” On that evening scores of suffragists, ages 19-73, were illegally imprisoned and tortured at the nearby historic D.C. prison grounds (what is known as the former Occoquan Workhouse) after peacefully picketing outside the Woodrow Wilson White House for the right to vote. Construction of the Memorial was anticipated to take nine months, culminating with a dedication ceremony on August 26, 2020, the centennial anniversary certification of the 19th Amendment.

Doris Stevens was one of the women imprisoned on the night of November 14, 1917. In 1920, she wrote "When all suffrage controversy has died away, it will be the little army of women with their purple, white and gold banners, going to prison for their political freedom that will be remembered. The challenge of the picket line roused the government out of its half-century sleep of indifference… (On the Night of Terror) I saw Dorothy Day brought in. She is a frail girl. The two men handling her were twisting her arms above her head. Then suddenly, they lifted her up and banged her down over the arm of an iron bench – twice." When word leaked out about the unconscionable treatment, it became a “turning point” in forcing President Wilson to ask Congress to consider a Constitutional Amendment.

Mandates of COVID-19 brought construction of the Memorial to a halt only three months after it was begun and several thousands of dollars short of its $2 million goal. Construction has begun again and will be completed in phases as financing allows.

Hurrah for Clubwoman Febb Burn

by Carolyn Forbes, WHRC Committee

Febb Burn of Moose Creek, Tennessee, was a college-educated school teacher, but in 1920, she did not have the right to vote. As a young woman, she had married James L. Burn and together the couple had four children. In 1916, James died from typhoid fever, so Febb stopped teaching to run the family farm and hosiery mill. She was the manager of the farm and responsible for paying the taxes, but couldn’t vote. She worked alongside the hired men, many who couldn’t read, but could vote. She didn’t believe that was right.

Febb read three newspapers a day and was an active member of the General Federation Women’s Clubs. On the porch at Hathborn, the Burn family homestead, she wrote a seven page letter to her son, Harry T. Burn, a member of the Tennessee legislature, which has now become famous. In the letter she said, “Hurrah and vote for Suffrage and don’t keep them in doubt,” and urged him to “be a good boy” and vote in favor of the 19th Amendment.

Less than a year later, Febb was the first of 900 women in her county to register to vote, filling out a registration card that still referred to voters as “he,” “him,” and “sir.” The state board of elections failed to revise the cards for several years.

There are two lessons we can learn from Febb’s story. First, listen to your mother. Second, never underestimate the power of one vote…..your vote!

Women of Color and Suffrage

by Mary Baird, WHRC Committee

The Women’s Suffrage Movement included women of color who banned together to establish women’s clubs in their neighborhoods and to campaign for equal voting rights. One of the most exceptional was Mary Church Terrell, a daughter of former slaves who spent 20 years fighting diligently for the rights of Black citizens.

A college-educated and influential educator as well as activist, Mary became the first President of the National Association of Colored Women in 1896. In speeches and essays, she demanded that white women include Black women in the struggle for the right to vote and urged Black men to support the fight for suffrage as well.

One of the main themes of her message was the rejection of outdated ideas, noting, “Why it is unjust to withhold from one half of the human race rights and privileges which are freely accorded to the other half, which is neither more deserving nor more capable of exercising them, seems almost like an insult to those whom one speaks.”

Although women secured the vote in 1920, women of color were routinely turned away from the ballot box for many more decades. It was not until the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and subsequent court rulings that limitations targeting people of color, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, were outlawed.

This year’s centennial of the 19th Amendment provides an opportunity for all to celebrate, but also to pause and carefully rethink our history. Understanding the past of women of color and crediting strong women, such as Mary Church Terrell, is an important step in guiding our future.