Foreword The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters contrib- utes a wealth of information to the historical context of the League of Women Voters. It is a story that needs to be told as the league prepares to celebrate its centennial. Dr. Jefferson-Jenkins’s enduring dedication to the league and her unique perspective on the organization are buoyed by her commitment to inform about the many women of color who were then, and are today, equally committed to the organization. In a broader con- text, these heroic women made enormous contributions to the struggle for the voting rights of all women, even as their right was simultaneously denied. Earlier in her career, Dr. Jefferson-Jenkins was the principal author of One Man, One Vote: The History of the African-American Vote in the United States, a book published by the League of Women Voters of Cleveland (Ohio) Educational Fund. That was my first introduction to Dr. Jefferson- Jenkins. Among the book’s accolades was recognition that it was import- ant to tell the story of how America had struggled to overcome the injustices of denying the right to vote to African Americans. The Cleve- land League was congratulated by elected and public officials and aca- demics for publishing the story. The year was 1991, and I had just been appointed as the first African American executive director of the League of Women Voters of the United States and its Education Fund. I remem- ber thinking at that time that the Cleveland League had sent a strong signal to its sister leagues and indeed the country about the value of pub- lishing the story and the long list of impressive African American political achievements. It was my honor to serve as executive director, and the Cleveland League’s signal gave me a sense of comfort in my new role. Fast forward to today, it is of no surprise that Dr. Jefferson-Jenkins had the foresight and determination to tell the stories of the remarkable women of color who are unveiled in this book so that they will be recognized
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