Collecting pieces of Minnesota's past for the future
About
The Minnesota Historical Society preserves and makes available a wide range of materials chronicling Minnesota's history and culture. The goals of the Collections Department are to collect and preserve; provide access and interpretation; and engage in education and outreach. This blog is a tool to share these stories and let people know what is happening in the department.
Nellie Griswold Francis
Griswold’s high school graduation photograph, 1891. From St. Paul Central High School records.
Happy Black History Month!
Throughout the month in Item of the Day we will focus on various influential and inspirational African American women.
Nellie Griswold Francis founded the Everywoman Suffrage Club (ESC) in 1914. It was the only Black woman suffrage organization in Minnesota.
Later, she was almost single-handedly responsible for the authorship and promotion of the bill for an Act to Prevent Lynching in 1921.
Learn more about her and her work here: https://www.mnhs.org/historycenter/activities/museum/votes-for-women/profiles/nellie-francis