Black women’s contributions to human’s rights history are too often overlooked in our nation’s history books. Yet these women played a vital role in the fight to secure rights and protections for all people—regardless of race, gender, class, and nationality.
During the 20th century, a cadre of Black women in the United States were at the forefront of the struggle for human rights. Their demands for citizenship rights were tied to their calls for human rights, which extended well beyond the borders of the United States.