Events & Calendars Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote and Insisted on Equality for All

Martha S. Jones is the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University. She is a legal and cultural historian whose work examines how Black Americans have shaped the story of American democracy. Most recently, Professor Jones is the author of Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All (2020) and Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America (2018), which earned many awards.

Professor Jones will discuss the history of African-American women who defied both racism and sexism to fight for the ballot, and how they wielded political power to secure the equality and dignity of all persons. This event is part of the Provost’s Lecture Series, which will focus on “The History of Anti-Black Racism in America” for the 2020-2021 academic year. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public are all welcome.