Summer Series 2020: Voda Curtis: Suffrage & Civil Rights – Keely Doll (Show-Me Suffragists, Part 4)

Season Description

One hundred years ago this summer, Missourians awaited news regarding the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The state had approved the amendment, which prohibited the federal government and states from denying a citizen the right to vote based upon sex, a year prior, in 1919. However, it would take another year before Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to ratify the new constitutional amendment in August 1920. As we consider the centennial of women's suffrage, Our Missouri invites listeners to join us as we explore the fight for the vote through the eyes of a group of "Show-Me Suffragists" who are not as well-known in Missouri History.

Episode Description

This episode focuses on the life of Voda "Bea" Hardy Curtis, and documents the path of her family from slavery to suffrage. The episode also features audio clips from Voda Curtis' 1977 oral history (S0829) housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri's St. Louis Research Center, as well as final thoughts from past oral history interns–Cydney Smith, Cassie Draudt, and Keely Doll–who conducted research on Voda Curtis' life.

 

Episode & Banner Image: International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union members in historical costumes at the fiftieth anniversary of suffrage parade, 1970 [League of Women Voters of St. Louis Records (S0530), SHSMO]

About the Guest

Originally from Naperville, Illinois, Keely Doll is currently a senior at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in journalism and history. She served as an oral history intern for the State Historical Society of Missouri during Summer 2020.

Episode Transcript

Full Transcript

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