November 19

Women peacemakers born today

  • 1813 Ann Terry Greene Phillips born Boston, MA (d. 1886). Nonviolent abolitionist; converted husband Wendell to cause of abolition, of which he became major orator and leader with Garrison; delegate to 1840 Anti-Slavery Convention, London.

  • 1874 Elizabeth Washburn Wright born Minneapolis, MN (d. 1954). Internationalist; led anti-opium campaign, 1908; US delegate to Opium Convention, 1924.

  • 1900 Anna Seghers born Mainz, Germany (d. 1983). Anti-fascist author; Jewish; Communist. Co-founder of East German freedom movement. Arrested by Gestapo for anti-fascist novel Die Gefährten, 1932; exiled, 1933. Awarded Stalin Peace Prize, 1951.

  • 1919 Polly Mann born St. Paul, MN. Founded Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), 1982; opposed nuclear arms, terrorism, and wars in Central America, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

  • 1934 Jackie Hudson born Saginaw, MI (d. 2011). Dominican nun; led nonviolent protests against war and nuclear weapons for 30 years; repeatedly arrested; spent six months in prison.

  • 1941 Gwendolyn T. Britt born Washington, DC. (d. 2008). Freedom Rider; arrested Jackson, MS, 1961; spent 40 days in prison; elected Maryland senator, 2002.

  • 1942 Sharon Olds born San Francisco, CA. American poet. Inspired by anti-Vietnam women poets.

  • 1955 Achta Saker Abdoul born Sarh, Chad. Judge at Rwanda War Crimes Tribunal, 2003.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1919 Rosika Schwimmer appointed first-ever female ambassador, for Hungary to Switzerland.

  • 2000 Sister Dorothy Hennessey arrested for School of Americas protest; sentenced to six months prison.

  • 2009 Catherine Ashton appointed first foreign minister for Europe.