ALABAMA OFFICIALS UNVEIL HISTORIC MARKER HONORING THE FIRST WOMEN VOTERS IN HUNTSVILLE

Submitted by Greg Miley, SON Staff Writer

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, and descendants of the voters attended the unveiling ceremony.

Interpreters, LEFT TO RIGHT, Diane Singletary King, Ida Crawford, Warner Byars, Elaine Tibbs Rice, Velma Foster
Preparing for the unveiling, LEFT TO RIGHT, Yvonne Lowery-Kennedy, Governor Kay Ivey, Donna Castellano, Mayor Tommy Battle, Herndon Spillman, Joan Carter.
Black Suffragists Marker
Descendants of the six Huntsville Black Suffragists

The Huntsville Historic Foundation, along with The Alabama Humanities Alliance, The William Hooper Councill Alumni Association, and The City of Huntsville, held a Historical Marker Dedication recognizing Huntsville’s first six Black women voters. The event was held on Sunday, October 24, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., at the William Hooper Councill Memorial Park. 

The six women were part of the Black Suffragist movement, which led to Black women’s right to vote. The six women, whose names are inscribed on the marker, are Mary Wood Binford (Jordan), Elien Scruggs Brandon, India Leslie Herndon, Lou Bertha Johnson, Dora Fackler Lowery, and Celia Horton Love (McCrary). 

Program participants included Ms. Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama, Mr. Tommy Battle, Mayor of Huntsville, Ms. Donna Castellano, Executive Director of the Huntsville Historic Foundation, Rev. Randy Kelley, Pastor of Lakeside United Methodist Church, Ms. Laura Clift, Historian of Lakeside United Methodist Church, Ms. Joan Carter, granddaughter of Mrs. Mary Binford, Mr. Herndon Spillman, grandson of Mrs. India Herndon,

Ms. Yvonne Lowery-Kennedy, granddaughter of Mrs. Dora Lowery and the daughter of the late Dr. Joseph Lowery, Mr. Reggie Pearson, soloist.  Interpreters for the six suffragists in attendance were Warner Byars, Elaine Tibbs Rice, Ida Crawford, Velma Foster, Diane Singletary King, Harriett Littlepage, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. members, and Delta Omega Zeta chapter. 

Ms. Castellano stated that this marker unveiling was the largest she had attended in Huntsville.  The weather was ideal, and all in attendance enjoyed a moving unveiling.