Women in the Conventions
Women played important roles in the Colored Conventions and within the wider circuits of Black activism in the nineteenth century. Women worked as writers, professionals, itinerant speakers, fundraisers, and supporters. From sitting on committees to grassroots organizing, these women were deeply engaged in the movement.
Despite their important presence, women's names appear only rarely in the minutes and proceedings of the Colored Conventions. We began to track any mentions of names that we might understand as women starting in 2015. We know this list remains incomplete, but we share this information to provide greater access to the scarce traces of their labors and leadership.