SISTER SUFFRAGISTS & THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTER at Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop

This historical drama brings to life the courageous activism of three African American Suffragists—Victoria Clay Haley, Madame C.J. Walker, and Ida B. Wells—and their connection to Sergeant Henry Johnson, a member of the famed Harlem Hellfighters. Set against the backdrop of St. Louis in the early 20th century, the play explores the intersection of women’s rights, racial justice, and wartime heroism as three trailblazing women work tirelessly to secure the passage of the 19th Amendment, all while confronting the pervasive racism of their time. Their efforts to bring Sergeant Henry Johnson to St. Louis to expose the U.S. military’s discriminatory treatment of Black soldiers underscore their commitment to racial equity on a national scale.