A Black Woman visit to the Susan B Anthony house

As a fellow Feminist, I admire Susan B Anthony. She Played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement and a prominent women’s rights activist. Her house which is now in a museum is located in Rochester, NY, my hometown. I along with some club members of the Women & Gender Studies Student Association went to visit her house and home.

The people in charge of the House were amazing, offered great customer service and accommodated us without an appointment during one of their busiest time of the year.They also have discounts if you are a student. I was very impressed with their professionalism, they made us feel right at home.

I am so proud to be a student at a College that not only empower students to pursue their own career interests but also have such a strong emphasis on helping others to pursue social change. Thanks to the Community Service Week Project, we were able to go on this trip.

As excited as I was, I was also a little hesitant about the tour, the question of her being a racist was in the back of mind because it has been in the news since the women’s march. I wanted to do my own research and planned on asking the tour guide about it.

Here are some things I Learned about the topic:

Susan B Anthony embraced Ida B Wells. Ida B Wells is a former slave turned female pioneer. She was a smart and fearless journalist who launched an anti-lynching campaign suffragist and international public speaker. Ida B Wells stayed in her guest room when she came over to visit. On one of her visit, Susan’s secretary was hesitant about working with Ida, a black woman. Susan stood up and told her that if she felt uncomfortable working with her, then she will no longer have a job.

Frederick Douglass and she had a fallen out:

Frederick Douglass also lived in Rochester. Douglass used to socialize on her family’s farm and they connected that way. They fell out not to the fact that Douglass thought black males should have the right to vote before women and Susan disagreed which made me wonder if Susan B Anthony was racist or Douglass was sexist.

Her picture is in a glass window of a predominately black church in Rochester:

Jeffrey, organizer and an activist for the African- American community was chosen to give a eulogy at Susan B Anthony;s funeral. time and energies to the work thou have left us to do." Thanks to Hester Jeffrey, the first memorial for Susan B Anthony was created.

A memorial, a stained glass window at the A.M.E. Zion church, consisted of a portrait of Anthony. The church is located at 549 Clarissa St, Rochester, NY.

Susan B Anthony deserves to be celebrated not just on her birthday, she paved the way for women of all ethnicities to come after her passing. Thanks to her I can vote and I am never taking that right for granted.

Thank you, Susan B Anthony.

If you will like to visit the house or make a donation, Here is the link.

http://susanbanthonyhouse.org/index.php