Alice Paul: A Women's Rights Activist

Alice Malsenior Walker, an African American born into poverty, came into this world on February 9, 1944 in Eatonon, Georgia. She was the youngest child of eight children born to Willie Lee and Minnie Tallulah Walkers. Both of her parents were sharecroppers as well as expert story tellers. Things were not easy for the Walkers and Alice often witnessed her mother’s frustration of having the burden to take care of eight children with little means. Even though children of share croppers were usually made to work the fields, Alice’s mother made sure that her kids received an education. Alice was brilliant at writing poetry.

The Progressive Era was an era of reforms to bring the United States up from its corrupted and poverty-stricken condition. In light of these reforms, new ideas were formed, challenging tradition. Of these, the early women’s civil rights movements of the late 1890’s to late 1910’s stood as one of the most prominent. In 1917, towards the end of the era and right before President Wilson ratified the 19th Amendment, feminist and journalist Alice Stone Blackwell responded to possible outcomes if women were allowed the right to vote. Blackwell’s response towards anti-suffrage ideals is significant to the Progressive Era due to her deconstruction of the arguments against women’s suffrage, essentially revealing its acceptance would not present a

Feminists from Rose Scott - an important figure in the women’s suffrage campaign and who devoted her life to improving the condition of women, to Beyoncé – pushing for women’s rights through the media and music industry, have greatly aided in shaping and transforming the structures of feminism today.

It was January 11, 1885 and in Moorestown, New Jersey what I would call a rook in the chess game of women’s suffrage, was born. It’s hard to believe that such an overwhelming infatuation in equality could be so deeply immersed in a woman only twenty-seven years of age. However, when you know that this person is none other than Alice Paul, believing gets easier. It was the defiance caged up inside this fire-cracker of a woman that led her steadily through the great battle of woman's suffrage.

Alice was taught about the importance of equality from a young age. First of all, she was born into a family of Quakers who were descended from William Penn. Most Quakers at the time believed in equality between the sexes. On top of this, her mother, Tacie Perrie, was one of the first women to attend Swarthmore College. Tacie would often take her daughter to suffragette meetings in order to better educate her. Alices upbringing made her into a strong, independent young woman who was ready to take on many challenges. Alice Paul's roots are important because they set her up to be a fearless leader.

Alice Paul was a strong willed woman who would not stop for anything in order to secure equality for both women and men. She was a common person like most and therefore related to many of those around her. Although she was raised in a wealthy family, she faced the death of family member and even discouragement of the public for voicing her thoughts. Despite these setbacks, she never stopped fighting for her cause. Even at a young age she was raised and taught that women and men were equal. After college, she went to Europe and learned military publicity skills to help earn women’s right to vote. Her mission did not stop with that; she continued to fight for her beliefs. Alice Paul's ultimate goal was to earn

To this day the women’s suffrage movement ignites women in the present to keep those right burning. Alice Paul and her fellow women suffrages demonstrated through speeches, lobbying and petitioning Congressional Committees, with parades, picketing and demonstrations, and with arrest that lead to imprisonment. These women express courage that women still uphold for years after their legacy has passed on, such as the article “Women’s Strike for Equality,” by Linda Napikoski, in the demonstration that was held on August 26, 1970 on the 50th anniversary of women’s suffrage. As well as an article “Women to Protest For Equality Today,” by United Press that talks about on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the women’s suffrage and “declared war on firms that Damage the Image,” of the fair sex. Alice Paul, set the stage for inspiring women to fight for their rights everywhere across the world.

Mary Wollstonecraft is still a relevant spokesperson for the feminist cause today, as her views on feminism were created to

As I was staring at this cue card that was written nearly one hundred years ago, I had to take a step back and realize how much this piece of paper had affected my life. Riggs Hunt was a committed feminist and traveled all over West Virginia to spread feminism in hopes that eventually women could have rights. Riggs Hunt was one of the women who fought for me to have education, ability to vote and to have rights over my own body. As I was sitting in the library holding something that was once in her hands, I felt empowered as I was holding a piece of history that had a huge impact on my life and the person that I am today. As I sat there reading this small summary of one of Riggs Hunt’s events, it had showed that she had been a strong advocate for women as she empowered women to follow her movement despite all the rumors that had been set towards feminism and at the same time she was still gender neutral as she allowed men to be involved in her feminist movement.

One women that caught my attention was Ella Baker. Her relentless struggle to strive for equality is inspiring. The quality that I think best defines her is motivated. The story that exemplifies motivation. She fought at Spelman for girls to be able to wear silk stockings. “It was typical of Baker that she did not actually care what she wore herself. She just wanted the students to stand up for themselves, and if stocking were their priority, that was fine” (Collins 117). Ella was never afraid of a challenge, and constantly fought for change throughout her life.

-Alice Paul impacted the political landscape permanently by symbolizing the long struggle for justice around the world with her vision that men and women should have equal rights.

During the course of a person’s life, a decision is made as to which direction their life should follow. Most people are encouraged by their loved ones to make this choice for themselves. When Kelly Cherry was twelve, she announced to her musically devoted, string quartet violinist parents that she was going to quit piano lessons and become a writer, in response, “[her] mother said that she would rather kill [her] than have [her] turn out like [her] big brother, a beatnik. She ran to the kitchen to get [a] butcher knife” (“Kelly Cherry”). Needless to say, she was not supported in this career path. Throughout the course of her early writing career, she would hear that she “had no talent for writing” (“Kelly Cherry”). Still, she continued to write, occasionally quitting again and again, like a smoker, only to pick it up again (“Kelly Cherry”). Continually she told herself, “You are not a writer” until one day she revised this to, “If you don’t write your books, no one else will” (“Kelly Cherry”).

I would like to meet Alice Paul to ask her why she believed women had a right to vote in America. Many people today view feminism as unnecessary because the types of things they fight for is taboo. However, challenging what is deemed socially acceptable is the only way to create changes. At her time, people similarly viewed women as having enough rights because women were just supposed to be housewives yet Alice Paul did not agree with this. She and many great others lived as catalysts for change. These people have a different type of passion living inside their hearts telling their minds that what is normal does not necessarily mean it is correct. I would want to ask her why the way women were treated at the time was not enough; why she believed

Alice Walker, born February ninth of 1944, was a child of tenant farmers in Eatonton, Georgia. As she lost sight in one eye from being shot with a BB gun, she read and wrote surrounding herself with her mother and aunts. As she witnessed the independence of these women, along with the oppression of the sharecropping system and violent racist acts, her artistic view was shaped. In 1961, she got involved with the Civil Right Movement at Spelman College, and became active after moving to Mississippi. Together with her husband, Civil Rights Lawyer Melvyn Rosenman Leventhal, married in March of 1967, she worked registering blacks to vote in Mississippi. They divorced after her daughter, Rebecca, was born.

The idea of racism and equality in society has been a salient one dating back to early days of civilization. One of the most important pushes for this idea of equality was the Black Power Movement. Dating back to the mid-1900’s this movement is defined as one that provided a political and social movement whose advocates believed in racial pride, self-sufficiency, and equality for all people of Black and African descent. In “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “Sonny Blues” by James Baldwin multiple characters are presented within this Black Power Movement having various reactions to it. More specifically Sonny from “Sonny Blues”, definitely embraces the idea of social and racial pride through the idea of music, although it may not bein the healthiest of ways. Dee from “Everyday Use”, embraces her racial pride also, but more important is her self-sufficient views of herself in relation to her culture and equality. Sonny uses this movement as the scapegoat for his life struggles. He struggles with his past and now current drug problems and uses the music as a safe haven in times where a black man from Harlem, New York is already viewed as unacceptable. Dee is very similar in the sense that she uses the Black Power Movement as an excuse for her actions. At a time when it’s viewed socially acceptable by your peers to embrace your race to the fullest Dee does so very arrogantly. The settings of these two stories along with the Black Power Movement create a tension between families