Reflections, August 2024
Beatrice Lumpkin and her friend Katie Jordan protesting with Coalition of Labor Union Women outside Democratic Party Convention, Chicago, 1996
By Sarah Bunin Benor
In November 2016, this website featured 186 women, ages 96 to 105, who were eager to elect Hillary Clinton. These women were born before the 19th Amendment and were, for the first time, voting for a woman for president of the United States. Sadly, most of the women did not live to see a female president. In August 2024, we reached out to some of their relatives. They expressed excitement about Kamala Harris's campaign, saying their mother, grandmother, aunt, etc., would be "proud," "delighted," or "thrilled" to vote for Harris. Several are sad that their relative is not here to witness this historical moment. One wrote that her mother "is always with me in the balloting cubicle." Another wrote that her mom "would be celebrating and transfixed by the glorious groundswell in support for Kamala Harris." A daughter-in-law said her family plans to have a celebration in her mother-in-law's honor when Kamala wins.
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We did find, to our delight, one woman who is still alive: Beatrice Lumpkin, now 106. Bea was one of the women who expressed excitement about voting for the first female president in 2016 and then shared wisdom about how the country could move forward after the disappointing election result. In August 2024, Bea spoke with Sarah Bunin Benor, co-author of We The Resilient: Wisdom For America From Women Born Before Suffrage. In this 31-minute interview, Bea talks about her experiences in labor organizing, the fight for civil rights and wage equality, her interracial marriage, her excitement about Kamala Harris's candidacy, and her advice for the country. You can learn more about Beatrice's life on Wikipedia and in her book Joy in the Struggle.
More wisdom from Beatrice Lumpkin, age 106
Suffrage in the news
In recent years, we've noticed renewed interest in the women's suffrage movement, from the 2017 Women's March to the fantastic musical Suffs, from a Smithsonian history quiz to delegates wearing white at the 2024 Democratic Convention.
Elizabeth Pula with a woman dressed as a suffragist, 2017 Women's March, Los Angeles
Elizabeth Pula with woman dressed as suffragists, 2018 Women's March, Los Angeles
