Nevertheless, They Persisted: Black Women and the Fire Within Them

Abstract

12 | BLACK HISTORY BULLETIN VOL. 82, NO 2 82 No.2 November 1968. Four years later, she launched a presidential bid that, though unsuccessful, received national attention and support. Since then, more than seventy women of color have been elected to Congress, including Carol Mosely Braun, the first Black woman elected to the Senate, in 1993 (and only the second Black senator since the Reconstruction era). It is important to note that after close to a hundred years of political mobilizing and activism, Black women are still not fully represented in Congress, and this country has never elected a Black woman to serve as the governor of a state or the president of the country. Black Women and the Civil Rights Movement The years 1954-1972, more commonly known as the modern Civil Rights Movement, were a time when Black people increased their effort and pressure to force the government to end segregation, both in theory and in practice.6 As they were during the antislavery movement of the nineteenth century, Black women were instrumental in the success of the Civil Rights Movement. Although their contributions and struggles may not be a part of the greater discussions, they must be noted and recognized in order to gain a true understanding of the role women played to advance the cause of civil rights.7 Though there are a number of Black women from the Civil Rights Movement who could (and should) be profiled—Ada Sipuel, Diane Nash, and Gloria Richardson immediately come to mind8 —this paper will specifically narrow the scope to look at those women whose contributions to strengthening the political power of the Black community were so extensive that any civil rights conversation that does not include them is not accurate, complete, or exact. These women, in a sense, are the lenses through which one can see how the Civil Rights Movement was shaped and nurtured by the commitment and contributions of Black women, as a whole. Two of the women, Dorothy I. Height and Coretta Scott King, are familiar names, but their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement may not be as well-known as they should be.9 The other three, Ella Jo Baker, Septima Poinsette Clark, and Fannie Lou Hamer, are names that may not be as familiar, but their contributions must be included (evaluated and critiqued) in the greater discussion about the Civil Rights Movement.10 Ella Jo Baker EllaJosephineBaker(December13,1903–December13,1986) worked as a field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), acting executive director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and mentor for the students who founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).11 Born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1903, Baker was the granddaughter of slaves, and thedaughterofawaiterandateacher.In1927,afterchallenging school policies and procedures, she graduated at the top of her class from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and moved to New York City. She quickly became involved in the struggle for Black political and economic equality and later joined the Young Negroes Cooperative League (YNCL). One year later, she was elected as the league’s first national director. In 1941, Baker began working as the assistant field secretary for the NAACP. Two years later she was promoted (without her NEVERTHELESS, THEY PERSISTED: BLACK WOMEN AND THE FIRE WITHIN THEM Examining the Legacies of Ella Jo Baker, Septima Poinsette Clark, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Irene Height, and Coretta Scott King By: Karsonya Wise Whitehead “Too long have we been silent under unjust and unholy charges; we cannot expect to have them removed until we disprove them through ourselves.” —Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin1 Black women have historically been actively involved in political and social action. From voter registration to community activism, they have effectively organized from within and on behalf of the community. During the early days of the Women’s Movement, even though their participation was not always included in the history books, they were at the meeting tables helping to organize, fundraise, and demonstrate for change.2 They fought multiple battles, including working to end American enslavement and working to establish the right to vote for Black people. When the Civil War ended...