Guest Essay: Remembering overlooked women heroes who fought for voting rights
By FELICIA MIYAKAWA and HELEN CORDES
In recent months, the legacy of local hero Jessie Daniel Ames has been honored with two building-naming events.
First, Southwestern University announced that one of its newest residence halls will be named Jessie Daniel Ames Hall in her memory. More recently, the Georgetown ISD school board announced that its newest elementary school, set to open in the summer of 2026, will be known as Jessie Daniel Ames elementary school. We, The League of Women Voters of Williamson County, are thrilled with these memorials of her profound impact in Georgetown, Williamson County and Texas.
With Jessie’s new visibility, thousands of students and the community will know more about the woman who led Wilco’s suffrage battle, barnstorming the county to get — with a 17-day deadline — some 3,800 Wilco women registered and voting for the first time. They’ll be inspired by her continued voter advocacy statewide, heading up the brand-new Texas League of Women Voters and lobbying at the Capitol for other rights denied to women (such as owning property). They’ll also learn about Jessie’s work to make sure all community voices were heard — improving Wilco schools and community resources for African-Americans; fighting for voting rights still denied by Jim Crow laws; and preventing lynchings and other racial violence throughout the South.
We want to emphasize, however, that Jessie Daniel Ames did not toil alone in her women’s suffrage work and in the anti-lynching and racial justice movement. And while we celebrate her, we want Williamson County to know of the many other women who made our home better for all.
We thank the many white Williamson County suffragists who also fought for better community education, health and cultural life, such as Granger’s Dr. Grace Danforth, a local and national advocate for suffrage, better women’s health (cast off those crippling corsets!) and education that allowed women to support children when husbands died or left. Grace was among the earlier waves of Texas suffragists, heading a suffrage group in Granger in 1893 in addition to her medical practice there.
But we must also know about and thank women such as Taylor’s Magnolia Dickey (the activist wife of the better-known Dr. James Dickey) and Lessie Givens who worked for the same goals. Along with their women’s group, Dickey and Givens improved health in the Black community, desegregated the swimming pool, and gave generations of children educational support. Taylorites honored these determined women with the name of the
Dickey-Givens Community Center.
Additionally, we laud sheros such as Othelia Giron, the first principal and teacher at the “Mexican School” that educated children from 1923-1947 at 10th and Bridge Street in Georgetown. She tirelessly worked with students and parents to boost learning and civic engagement. She held twice-weekly meetings for anyone in the Spanish-speaking community to learn to become “better citizens,” and started a PTA for parents. When the Mexican School children moved on to Georgetown’s white school after completing third grade, principal Annie Purl continued her partnership with Othelia to smooth the transition for the students.
We have learned from our foremothers that making change in our community takes time. During WWII, Jovita Zavala took a stand against the segregated balcony seating for Black and Hispanic Georgetowners because, as she told the usher, her son was defending everyone’s freedom by fighting in war’s frontlines. Jovita’s action didn’t immediately desegregate the Palace Theater or the other places in town where Latino and Black people were denied equal access.
But her action that day at the Palace helped to break the hold of segregation and open up opportunities for everyone.
Just like Jessie and these many other overlooked “sheros,” we understand that we need the entire community’s voting voices to make life thrive and improve for all. Democracy and community both work best when everyone is involved.
We invite readers to learn more about our league (LWVWilco.org) and consider joining our work to Empower Voters and Defend Democracy in the coming year.
Felicia Miyakawa is the President of the League of Women Voters of Williamson County, and Helen Cordes is a LWV Wilco member and former director of First Vote, a non-partisan Voter Education program in Williamson County high schools. Ms. Cordes is also a Georgetown resident who created the HiddenHerstories and MoreStories website and walks.