The Role of Women in Tennessee Elections

The Role of Women in Tennessee Elections In Tennessee in 1919 women were recruiting the votes of other women to vote for the first time. In Nashville, suffragists who had been working for many years for this right, hastily organized women to register and as part of their of the preparation for their first election, struck a rare alliance with African American women leaders. There was a political agreement between the two groups, white women suffragists …

…from working with the other suffragists. For African American women the alliance produced gains and demonstrated the importance of organization within the African American community. The alliance with Nashville white suffragists was for black women one way of achieving goals. Whatever the motivation of white suffragists, the African Americans were very clear about their reasons for joining in the alliance. They wanted to make a difference, and they knew through cooperation, they could receive benefits.