08/26/2026
On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was officially certified, establishing that the right to vote could not be denied or abridged on the basis of s*x. IT WAS NOT inclusive and the fight continued.
Black Women: The 19th Amendment did not remove the barriers many Black women faced. In the South, Jim Crow brought violent intimidation, poll taxes, literacy tests, and other forms of voter suppression. Many Black women in northern and western states successfully registered and voted, but stronger federal protection against racial discrimination in voting would not come until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Native American Women: Many Indigenous women weren't recognized as U.S. citizens in 1920. The Indian Citizenship Act (Snyder Act) of 1924 granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States, yet state restrictions and discriminatory practices continued to prevent many Native women from voting for decades.
Asian American Women: Federal laws restricting citizenship and naturalization meant many Asian immigrant women still couldn't vote after the 19th Amendment. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 eliminated racial restrictions on naturalization, expanding access to citizenship and voting rights.
Latina Women: Although many U.S.-citizen Latinas legally had voting rights following the 19th Amendment, literacy tests, English-only elections, intimidation, and discrimination remained significant obstacles. The 1975 amendments to the Voting Rights Act added important protections for language-minority voters, including bilingual election materials in qualifying jurisdictions.
The 19th Amendment was a monumental victory in American history. But it's also important to remember: the promise of the vote did not become a reality for all women at the same time
Source: PBS
