Suffrage Monument

Hi, I’m Virginia Ezell Briley, and I’m proud to be a cultural ambassador for Nashville Sites. I work at Lipscomb University and am a Nashville native. This stop is part of the Nashville Sites walking tour. To explore more stories, take the full tour on NashvilleSites.org.

Now, let me tell you about this statue of five women and the movement behind it.

On May 1, 1916, Anne Dallas Dudley led a suffrage parade through downtown Nashville. As the crowd grew, businesses unfurled “Votes for Women” banners while working women tossed flowers from windows. More than 2,000 people marched down West End Avenue and ended up here at the Parthenon. Flanked by her children, Dudley stood on the steps and declared, “The right to vote is a matter of simple justice.”

Today, we honor that legacy. Dedicated in August 2020, on the centennial of the state's ratification of the 19th Amendment, this monument commemorates the women and men who worked to expand voting rights. Sculpted by Nashville artist Alan LeQuire, five iconic suffrage leaders are represented: Anne Dallas Dudley, Carrie Chapman Catt, Sue Shelton White, Abby Crawford Milton, and Juno Frankie Pierce.

Their poses convey unity and forward motion. In front, Dudley holds a “Votes for Women” sign with Catt’s hand on her shoulder. In the back, White and Milton hold hands as they walk, and Milton’s hand rests on Pierce’s shoulder. Standing just behind Catt, Pierce represents the power of Black women, who were often excluded from the mainstream movement.

Each woman brought a unique voice to the cause. Dudley, a Nashville native, organized rallies and rose to national leadership. Catt, who succeeded Susan B. Anthony, led campaigns at the state and federal levels and later founded the League of Women Voters. White, from Jackson, edited The Suffragist and was jailed for protesting at the White House. Milton led the state’s League of Women Voters. Pierce, a pioneering Black educator, was a leading advocate for woman's suffrage and also founded a school for African American girls. Pierce’s activism foreshadowed the long road to full voting rights for Black women, not federally secured until the 1960s.

The monument also honors “Suffragents”—supportive men like Representative Harry T. Burn, whose vote proved decisive, and Governor A.H. Roberts, who signed the amendment into law. Nearby plaques recognize later trailblazers such as Jane Eskind, Beth Harwell, and Lois DeBerry—the first women to hold high public office in Tennessee.

This monument’s placement is no accident. Now, where Dudley once stood in real life, she stands in bronze relief. So, remember, this isn’t just about the past—it’s about the importance of participation and the ongoing promise of democracy.

Follow the short path past the Suffrage Monument. Take the first LEFT and continue left towards the stone pillar monument dedicated to James Robertson, one of Nashville’s founders. Once you reach the monument, look to your right and locate the Centennial Park Bandshell.