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Page 2 | February, March, April <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong><br />

<strong>Virginia</strong> <strong>Nurses</strong> <strong>Today</strong> | www.<strong>Virginia</strong><strong>Nurses</strong>.com<br />

Black History Month continued from page 1<br />

In a similar conversation with Senator Mamie<br />

Locke, she expressed discontent in past and<br />

current voting practices. Senator Locke said, “there<br />

is no reason to make it difficult for individuals to<br />

exercise their right to vote; it definitely should not be<br />

happening in this century.” “As Americans, it is our<br />

duty to ensure that anyone who is eligible to register<br />

and vote be allowed to exercise their given right to do<br />

so without obstruction,” stated Senator Locke.<br />

When I met with Congressman John Lewis I<br />

wanted to know what it was like on the Edmund<br />

Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965,<br />

particularly when the nonviolent protesters were<br />

met with brute force opposition that included state<br />

troopers brandishing nightsticks, tear gas and<br />

whips. Congressman Lewis vividly accounts the<br />

day he and the other protesters marched for the<br />

voting rights of those denied the right to vote. The<br />

details are graphic and will not be discussed here,<br />

but Congressman Lewis said he feared that he<br />

would “die on that bridge.” Congressman Lewis said,<br />

“When I was being beat on that bridge, I thought I<br />

would lose my life right there, but it would not have<br />

been in vain.” The congressman emphasized the<br />

significance of voting and having your vote count.<br />

“It is imperative that citizens remain vigilant, stay<br />

informed about changes in legislation, and most<br />

importantly, exercise their right to vote,” says<br />

Congressman Lewis.<br />

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge civil<br />

rights activist Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African<br />

American to complete nurse’s training in 1879. Miss<br />

Mahoney is also credited as one of the first women<br />

to register to vote in her state of Massachusetts<br />

following ratification of the 19th Amendment (Spring,<br />

<strong>20</strong>17). Senator Lucas said she imagines that many<br />

African Americans were feeling euphoric thinking<br />

that the amendment was a quick fix to the ongoing<br />

issues of voting rights, only to learn that barriers<br />

such as poll taxes continued to exist. Mahoney, along<br />

with many African American women such as Ida B.<br />

Wells, Nannie Helen Burroughs, Josephine St. Pierre<br />

Congressman John Lewis and Dr. McDaniel discuss<br />

his participation in the 1965 March to Selma<br />

Ruffin, and Mary McLeod Bethune led civil rights<br />

organizations that contributed to the VRA of 1965<br />

(National Park Service, <strong>20</strong>19).<br />

There are too many nuances surrounding the<br />

African American suffrage movement to discuss<br />

here, but perhaps your curiosity and propensity<br />

for gaining new knowledge will lead you to further<br />

investigate. And remember, you should never take<br />

your constitutional right to vote for granted. You<br />

must always seek ways to ensure that you are<br />

allowed the opportunity to exercise that right. Happy<br />

Black History Month!<br />

*The <strong>Virginia</strong> Senate recently named Sen. L.<br />

Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) as president pro<br />

tempore, making her the first woman and first<br />

African American to hold the chamber’s secondhighest<br />

office. Senator Mamie Locke was the first<br />

African American mayor of Hampton, VA.<br />

References<br />

National Park Service (<strong>20</strong>19). Series: Suffrage in America:<br />

The 15th and 19th Amendments. Retrieved from https://<br />

www.nps.gov/articles/black-women-and-the-fight-forvoting-rights.htm<br />

Spring, K. A. (<strong>20</strong>17). Mary Eliza Mahoney. The National<br />

Women’s History Museum. Retrieved from https://www.<br />

womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/<br />

mary-mahoney.<br />

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Stafford County Public Schools is actively<br />

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Please visit our website at www.staffordschools.net to learn more about the position<br />

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www.<strong>Virginia</strong><strong>Nurses</strong>.com<br />

Published by:<br />

Arthur L. Davis<br />

Publishing Agency, Inc.<br />

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