The historic women’s suffrage march on Washington - Michelle Mehrtens

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Marssi Draw

On March 3, 1913,

1913 年三月三日

protesters parted for the woman in white:

抗爭者讓出一條路 給一位身穿白衣的女人

dressed in a flowing cape and sitting astride a white horse,

她披著飄揚的斗篷

跨坐在白馬上

the activist Inez Milholland was hard to miss.

你很難忽視這位社運人士 伊內絲·米爾荷蘭

She was riding at the helm of the Women’s Suffrage Parade-

她是這場婦女參政權遊行的掌舵人

the first mass protest for a woman’s right to vote on a national scale.

這是首次針對婦女投票權舉行的 國家級大型抗議遊行

After months of strategic planning and controversy,

經過數月的戰略規劃和辯論

thousands of women gathered in Washington D.C.

成千上萬的婦女齊集於華盛頓特區

Here, they called for a constitutional amendment granting them the right to vote.

她們在此呼籲修憲

賦予女性投票權

By 1913, women’s rights activists had been campaigning for decades.

至 1913 年，女權運動者 已為此造勢了數十年

As a disenfranchised group,

婦女身為被剝奪選舉權的團體

women had no voice in the laws that affected their– or anyone else’s– lives.

無法為會影響自己 或別人生命的法律發聲

However, they were struggling to secure broader support for political equality.

然而，她們始終無法為政治平等 爭取到更廣泛的支持

They’d achieved no major victories since 1896,

自 1896 年後一直沒有取得重大勝利

when Utah and Idaho enfranchised women.

那年，猶他州及愛達荷州 授予婦女選舉權

That brought the total number of states which recognized a women’s right to vote

此舉使全美承認婦女有投票權的州

to four.

到四個！

A new, media-savvy spirit arrived in the form of Alice Paul.

直到精通媒體炒作的新成員 艾麗斯·保爾出現

She was inspired by the British suffragettes,

她受英國女性參政權運動者啟發——

who went on hunger strikes and endured imprisonment in the early 1900s.

她們於 1900 年代初期 絕食抗議、忍受監禁

Rather than conduct costly campaigns on a state-by-state basis,

保爾認為與其在各州發動 所費不貲的造勢運動

Paul sought the long-lasting impact of a constitutional amendment,

還不如尋求有長期影響的憲法修正案

which would protect women’s voting rights nationwide.

可以保障全國婦女的投票權

As a member of the National American Women Suffrage Association,

保爾身為全美婦女選舉協會的成員

Paul proposed a massive pageant to whip up support and rejuvenate the movement.

她提議發起一場大規模的遊行 以鼓動支持並重振運動

Washington authorities initially rejected her plan-

華盛頓當局本來拒絕了她的計畫

and then tried to relegate the march to side streets.

然後又試圖降低遊行的規模 到周邊小街上

But Paul got those decisions overturned

保爾不但推翻了這些決定

and confirmed a parade for the day before the presidential inauguration

還確定要在伍德羅·威爾遜總統 就職大典前一天來場大遊行

of Woodrow Wilson.

This would maximize media coverage

此舉將會得到最多的媒體報導

and grab the attention of the crowds who would be in town.

並吸引城裡人群的目光

However, in planning the parade,

然而，保爾在計畫遊行時

Paul mainly focused on appealing to white women from all backgrounds,

只專注於吸引各種 出身背景的白種女性

including those who were racist.

包括種族主義者

She actively discouraged African American activists

她積極勸阻非裔的運動人士

and organizations from participating-

及團體組織參加遊行

and stated that those who did so should march in the back.

並表述如果非裔美人要參加 應該走在隊伍後面

But black women would not be made invisible in a national movement

但是黑人婦女不應該在

她們幫助發展的全國運動中隱形

they helped shape.

On the day of the march,

遊行當天

Ida B. Wells-Barnett,

艾達·貝爾·韋爾斯

a ground-breaking investigative journalist and anti-lynching advocate,

這位開創性的調查報導記者 和反私刑的倡導者

refused to move to the back and proudly marched under the Illinois banner.

拒絕移到隊伍後面

還在伊利諾伊州標幟下昂首遊行

The co-founder of the NAACP, Mary Church Terrell,

美國全國有色人種協進會的共同創辦人

瑪麗·秋池·特瑞爾

joined the parade with the 22 founders of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,

與 22 位 ΔΣΘ (DST) 姊妹會 創始人一起參加遊行

an organization created by female students from Howard University.

這個姊妹會由霍華大學的女學生組成

In these ways and more,

藉由此舉和其它方式

black women persevered despite deep hostility

黑人婦女不屈不撓

儘管這個運動中的白人 對她們有深深的敵意

from white women in the movement,

and at great political and physical risk.

而且她們還冒著極大的 政治及人身危險

On the day of the parade,

遊行當天

suffragists assembled to create a powerful exhibition.

婦女參政權支持者 集會展示了強大的力量

The surging sections of the procession included international suffragists,

遊行中的團體 包括國際女權主義者

artists, performers and business-owners.

藝術家、表演家及企業主

Floats came in the form of golden chariots;

遊行的花車裡有金色的戰車

an enormous Liberty Bell; and a map of enfranchised countries.

超大的自由鐘

以及標著有投票權國家的地圖

On the steps of the Treasury Building,

財政部大樓的階梯上

performers acted out the historical achievements of women to a live orchestra.

演員配著管弦樂的現場演奏 表演著歷史上女性的成就

The marchers carried on even as a mob blocked the route,

遊行不斷持續 即使遇上一群擋路的人

hurling insults and spitting at women,

他們對婦女說粗話、吐痰

tossing cigars, and physically assaulting participants.

丟香菸，還對參與者施暴

The police did not intervene,

警察沒有干預

and in the end, over 100 women were hospitalized.

最後有上百名女性被送醫住院治療

Their mistreatment, widely reported throughout the country,

她們所遭受的虐待 被媒體在全國大幅報導

catapulted the parade into the public eye—

使這場遊行快速吸引大眾眼光——

and garnered suffragists greater sympathy.

並讓婦女參政支持者獲得更大的同情

National newspapers lambasted the police,

全國性的報紙嚴責警方

and Congressional hearings investigated their actions during the parade.

國會也召開聽證會

調查他們在遊行時採取的行動

After the protest, the "Women’s Journal" declared,

《女權期刊》於抗議遊行之後宣稱

“Washington has been disgraced. Equal suffrage has scored a great victory."

「華盛頓蒙受羞辱 婦女參政運動獲得重大勝利」

In this way,

用這個方法

the march initiated a surge of support for women’s voting rights

此場遊行激增了對女性投票權的支持

that endured in the coming years.

並持續多年

Suffragists kept up steady pressure on their representatives,

婦女參政支持者持續對地方民代施壓

attended rallies, and petitioned the White House.

參加造勢活動並向白宮請願

Inez Milholland, the woman on the white horse,

伊內絲·米爾荷蘭這位騎白馬的女性

campaigned constantly throughout the United States,

儘管患著慢性疾病 也不斷在美國各地造勢

despite suffering from chronic health problems.

She did not live to see her efforts come to fruition.

她沒有活著看到自己努力的成果

In 1916,

1916 年

she collapsed while giving a suffrage speech and died soon after.

她在一場婦女參政演講中昏倒

不久即撒手人寰

According to popular reports,

根據大眾報導

her last words were,

她的遺言是：

“Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?”

「總統先生，女性還要等多久 才能獲得自由？」

Though full voting inclusion would take decades,

雖然婦女還要再等數十年 才有完整的選舉權

in 1920, Congress ratified the 19th amendment,

1920 年，國會認可了 美國憲法第十九修正案

finally granting women the right to vote.

終於賦予婦女投票權