Hidden history & the suffragist movement

Voting Now: Turning Rights into Reality

Mary Beatty should be a well-known figure in women's history: she was one of the first Black women (west of the Mississippi) to publicly advocate for woman suffrage. Decades before women won the right to vote, Mary Beatty and 3 other white women attempted to vote. When asked why they voted, each responded: “I am an American citizen, and have the right to vote.” The next year, she participated in the first convention of the Oregon State Woman Suffrage Association. These are just a few of the accomplishments in Mary Beatty’s life. Yet despite her achievements, very little was known about Mary Beatty until last year. We spoke to, Jean Ward, who researched Mary Beatty’s story. Ward is a Professor Emerita of Communication at Lewis & Clark College.

Professor Ward spoke to our lead host, Celia Howes about Beatty’s life and how she uncovered Beatty’s story in history. Gathering research was difficult, a process that Ward said made her feel like she was in “the Hansel and Gretel story, following the crumbs as you go into the forest,” but bit by bit the story came together.”