A vision of freedom: the overlooked Black women activists who rallied for the vote in the Pacific Northwest

Long before women gained the right to vote nationwide in 1920, Black women in the Pacific Northwest were already working to shape political life—organizing clubs, building party networks, and mobilizing voters.

Assistant Professor of History Quin’Nita Cobbins-Modica’s research shines a light on these overlooked political strategists. Her scholarship has earned her the 2025 Judith Lee Ridge Award, which recognizes the best article in any field of history published by a member of the Western Association of Women Historians (WAWH).