P.C. Historical Society explores women’s suffragist movement
May 2, 2024 at 2:04 a.m.
When Joan Grangenois-Thomas described how the ratification of the 19th Amendment is traditionally taught in schools, it was reminiscent of the experience this reporter had in his early years of education.
“There was a brief suffragist movement and then it just happened,” she said of the over-simplified rendition during a phone interview on Tuesday, Apr. 30. “Like the flip of a light switch.”
The Port Chester Village trustee said history is often taught from a specific lens, typically that of White men, and women’s right to vote is no exception.
The amendment, which reads “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex,” is the culmination of a decades-long movement which was contributed to by people from all walks of life.
“We were shown the sanitized version (of history) which eliminated the people of color who were a part of that conversation,” Grangenois-Thomas said.
To reintroduce all the nuances seen in the history of the voting rights movement to those interested, the Port Chester Historical Society partnered with the Read, Talk, Act book club to host a discussion on the 19th Amendment titled: “How Did We Get Here?”—with Grangenois-Thomas, who founded the reading group, at the helm.
The group is discussing the “Amended” podcast, a six-episode series about the complex history behind the women’s suffragist movement—and women’s rights as a whole.
The first session occurred on Thursday, Apr. 25, and the next two are scheduled for May 9 and May 23. Each date focuses on two episodes at a time.
It’s a series that has both organizations treading new ground.
Trying something different
“We’ve never really held an event like this,” Port Chester Historical Society Board Member Kikki Short said. “We’ve had guest speakers who would talk about historical topics, but never a discussion group.”
Short explained the event was funded by a grant through Humanities New York, a nonprofit that aims to spark community dialogue on social and cultural concerns.
She said it was a way for the group to try something new that would engage the community.
“We wanted to show that historical societies aren’t about dressing up in old-timey clothes. I mean, it is sometimes, but not always,” she joked.
After applying for the grant in December 2023, Short said a decision regarding who would lead the talks had to be made.
“The way the grant is structured is a facilitator to guide the discussion had to be selected and trained,” she said. “For a small organization like the Port Chester Historical Society, it seemed like a big ask.”
But the Village is home to a group that is comfortable with that kind of programming.
Read, Talk, Act was founded following the 2015 shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. by Grangenois-Thomas and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Pastor Jim O’Hanlon. “We read to try to understand something and then act on what we’ve learned,” Grangenois-Thomas said.
The club has read books about racial segregation like “The New Jim Crow” and “The Color of Law.”
After reading and discussing a piece of literature, the group would perform an action reflecting what they had learned. Those ranged from social gatherings and vigils to yearly Juneteenth celebrations.
Though books were an option for the Port Chester Historical Society’s program, the group opted to work with a podcast.
“I wanted to make it as accessible as possible,” Short said. Though the audio medium is not something Read, Talk, Act had studied with before, Grangenois-Thomas said the content was suitable for the group, regardless of how it was delivered.
“This podcast really fits our profile because it sort of reads through the suffragist movement and it’s still applicable to today,” she said. “In some ways, we’re in the same spot, socially. In other ways, we’ve taken a few steps back.”
Discussing a lesser-known history
The podcast, hosted and written by historian Laura Free, challenges the simplified suffrage story taught in schools—which typically focuses on how several prominent White women achieved the right to vote in 1920.
The first two episodes, which were discussed during the hour-long session at the Bush-Lyon Homestead in Lyon Park at 7 p.m. on Apr. 25, elaborate on how the suffragists date back to earlier than famous figures like Susan B. Anthony and how body autonomy was deeply tied to the movement.
“Susan B. Anthony was a woman of privilege who had the time to focus on the suffragist movement,” Grangenois-Thomas said on the matter. On body autonomy, it’s argued in the second episode of the podcast that slaves who fought for control of their own bodies paved the way for the women who came after them.
Grangenois-Thomas said some in attendance at the first podcast discussion were new to the information. “There were people who said they didn’t know about those ties,” she recalled. “It was like a mind exploding moment for some.”
Both Short and the Village trustee said the dozen in attendance, both in-person and through Zoom, were able to relate the topic to more recent history and present-day issues.
“When you think of it, the fight never ended,” Short said. “In the 1970s, women couldn’t open a bank account without their husband’s name on it.” Grangenois-Thomas pointed to a measure that will be seen on the Nov. 5 ballot this year as to how relevant the conversation is today.
“The Equal Rights Amendment is on the ballot this year,” she said. The law would amend the state constitution to prevent the denial of rights based on ethnicity, age, disability, gender expression, gender identity, reproductive autonomy and more. “That we even have to vote on it is remarkable. To reaffirm isn’t a bad idea, but at the same time: Equality is on the ballot.”
Short said the first meeting was, overall, a success. “Joan was a great discussion leader,” she said. “She kept us all on track and I’m excited for the next one.”
She hopes more people will participate in the next two sessions. Grangenois-Thomas wishes for the same.
“It’s a way for us to learn more and become more informed citizens,” she said.
The next meeting will focus on episodes three and four of the podcast. Anyone interested in participating can do so by visiting the Bush-Lyon Homestead at 7 p.m. on May 9 and 23 or emailing [email protected] for the Zoom link.
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