Prominent feminists from Minnesota history who are featured on the hero image of this page, we are proud to celebrate these women:
Clara Ueland, a leading suffragist, she was the president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association and the first president of the Minnesota League of Women Voters. Nellie Francis, a civil rights and suffrage activist, she founded the Every Woman's Suffrage Club, the only Black women's suffrage organization in Minnesota. Julia B. Nelson, a suffragist and educator, she was a founding member of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association and a strong advocate for the rights of Black freedmen and their families. Sarah Berger Sterns, one of the earliest suffragists, she helped found the Minnesota Women Suffrage Association in 1881. Emily Gilman Noyes, an influential supporter of suffrage, she co-founded the Women's Welfare League and was a vice-president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association. Phyllis Kahn, a former state representative known for her extensive legislative work on women's rights, including laws addressing anti-female violence and gender equity in sports funding. Lena O. Smith, minnesota's first Black female lawyer, she was the first female president of the Minneapolis NAACP and a major figure in the fight against racial discrimination. Ann Bancroft, an explorer, she is a notable figure for her athletic achievements and advocacy for women and girls. Marie Bottineau Baldwin, an Indigenous legal leader and activist who also worked for women's suffrage. Melissa Anne Hortman, an Minnesota politician and lawyer who served as the 61st speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 until her assassination in 2025.
