Join us at the Historical Society of Michigan’s Local History Conference in Detroit! Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council board members Jo Ellyn Clarey and Ruth Stevens will lay out Michigan’s history of local legislation initiatives and court decisions revealing the crucial role played by local school board elections as both a testing ground for suffrage and a launching point for women in elective office. They will outline a better history of suffrage organizations by correcting faulty assumptions about geography, ethnicity, and race; and revalue Michigan history’s effect on the national story, illustrating once again the importance of full and accurate research about local women throughout the nation.

From the conference brochure: A century ago, Michigan granted full suffrage to women, which at last allowed them to vote in state and local elections. In this session, the speakers will discuss the history of the suffrage movement in Michigan; the significance of local school board elections; and the movement’s inclusion of geography, race, and ethnicity