Information

Naomi Bowman Talbert Anderson was born on March 1, 1843 in Michigan City, Indiana. She was a writer and speaker who went to many conventions and wrote letters to and for newspapers advocating for women’s rights and racial equality. Her lectures, poems and speeches were unique during her time because it expressed the concerns of many African American woman. Anderson was also highly religious and stressed the importance of temperance.

Background Information

The Bowman’s were free blacks and one of the two black families that lived in Indiana City. Like many African Americans Naomi was discriminated against and was unable to go to public school because of segregation. Her mother was determined to make sure Naomi had an education, so she hired a private tutor to teach her. “ This Reaction too discrimination served as an early lesson to young Naomi that determined individuals can overcome barriers” (Smith, 1996, p.11).  Because of her mother’s efforts, Naomi developed her writing skills allowing her to gain a higher-level education, which impressed Indiana’s white community. Anderson’s writing abilities caught their attention and she was able to attend public school. Unfortunately, after her mother died, she stopped her pursuit of education. After her marriage to William Talbert, she started pursuing women’s rights and equal rights for African American women. Anderson was a very accomplished writer for her time often writing articles for newspapers, which was not very common for an African American woman. Family issues occurred constantly throughout her life which caused her to take time off and become a hairdresser.

Contributions to the First Wave

African American suffragist were steadily increasing during the suffrage era and Naomi was one of many early African American suffragists willing to speak up against gender discrimination and racism. In the Smith’s book, Notable Black American Women, author Linda M Carter mentions Terborg- Penn’s quote “’Anderson was part of the growing number of African American women who felt the sting of both racism and sexism and decided to speak against them’” (Smith, 1996, p.12). During her fight for women’s rights she wrote numerous articles for gender equality. Anderson was not opposed to interracial debates and would often speak to and with white peers. Anderson supported many suffragists during the women’s movement even defending them against African American men. In her article, “Male vs. Female Suffrage,” Anderson wrote to the Chicago Tribune in order to defend Mrs. Stanton’s words. She believed that many African American males misinterpreted her words, “as I thought, thoroughly and satisfactorily explained herself to all, yet it is asserted by not a few colored men that she said (or implied the meaning) & which was affirmed by your reporter, that she did not want the colored men to vote without white women were allowed the same right. Now, I contend, she said no such thing” (Anderson, 1869, p. 1). Anderson hated the terms Afro -American and African American, so she used logic and reasoning to win over her audience and validate herself for being American. In A Colored Woman on the Race Problem, Anderson argued that she was American rather than Negro or Afro American by defining the term, “Negroes, according to Webster, are native born Africans; the mulatto is half white and half black; the quadroon is one-fourth negro; the octoroon, one-eighth negro, and, when it gets that far, you cannot tell it at all. I hold that there are very few negroes in this country, if any. Then, why call us negroes? ” ( Anderson, 1890, p.1). Anderson strongly fought for her label as being American, because many whites during this time wanted African Americans to be deported. Anderson attended many meetings and conventions fighting for her label of being American.  Anderson also attended the first Woman’s Rights Convention in Chicago in 1869. In Emma Harriman’s  article for the Woman’s Journal the author mentions how Anderson disliked being called Afro or Negro, “She spoke eloquently for ten minutes for woman suffrage, and against the name Afro, ‘I am not an African,’ she said, ‘I am not a Negress; I am an American'” ( Harriman, 1890, p.2). Religion was also used in her work; she often quoted the bible as well as use God in her reasoning. In Anderson’s A Colored Woman’s Voice,  she expressed that God allowed Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves even though slaves where in the bible, and women would soon be allowed to vote. “God, our God, is with and for us, and will hear the call of woman, and her rights will be granted, and she shall be permitted to vote” (Anderson, 1869, p.1). Anderson favored suffrage and was a member of Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. often supporting and writing work for it. Anderson also was fully supportive of suffrage and fought for it among her fellow suffragist

 

“ I appeal to the women of this country to demand justice for the unprotected Afro-American women. But prejudice is graven upon the hearts of this great Nation and it is rooted is the Afro-American as well as in the white race. ”

~ Naomi Bowman Talbert Anderson (A Colored Woman on The Race Problem p. 1)

Analysis and Conclusion

In conclusion Naomi Bowman Talbert Anderson was an African American suffragist who supported women’s rights and equal rights among all races. In my opinion, I believe Anderson fought for equal rights for all rather than using her speeches to show superiority like many early suffragist did. Most of Andersons work focused on the mistreatment of women and gave insight to African American women’s struggles. Anderson’s writings and speeches supported and argued for European women suffragist opinions after they were criticized by African American Men. Anderson used logic and religion to persuade her audience often referring to the bible to validate her opinion. Her work was very progressive for her time because she argued her points with reasoning’s and intellect. She showed that Americans of any color and gender should be allowed to vote and gain an education.

References

Anderson, N. B. (2000). A Colored Woman on the Race Problem. The Woman’s Tribune, Vol. 7, No. 12, 22 March 1890, p. 93

Anderson, N. B. (2000). A Colored Woman’s Voice. The Revolution, 4 March 1869, p. 139,

Anderson, N. B. (2000). Male vs. Female Suffrage. In Chicago Daily Tribune, March 8, 1869, p. 4

Harriman, E. (2000). California (South). The Woman’s Journal, 5 September 1896, p. 287,

Naomi Anderson.png. (2020, October 26). Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Retrieved 19:26, December 2, 2020 from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Naomi_Anderson.png&oldid=502820087.

Smith, J. (1996). Notable Black American women: Book II. Detroit: Gale Research. p.11