The Susan B. Anthony Museum declined President Donald Trump’s posthumous pardon of the suffragette Tuesday and offered him suggestions for how they believe he might better honor her legacy.
“Objection! Mr. President, Susan B. Anthony must decline your offer of a pardon today,” wrote Deborah L. Hughes, the president and CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House, which is in Rochester, New York.
She continued:
Anthony wrote in her diary in 1873 that her trial for voting was “The greatest outrage History ever witnessed.” She was not allowed to speak as a witness in her own defense, because she was a woman. At the conclusion of arguments, Judge Hunt dismissed the jury and pronounced her guilty. She was outraged to be denied a trial by jury. She proclaimed, “I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty.” To pay would have been to validate the proceedings. To pardon Susan B. Anthony does the same.
If one wants to honor Susan B. Anthony today, a clear stance against any form of voter suppression would be welcome. Enforcement and expansion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would be celebrated, we must assure that states respect the 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments to the United States Constitution. Support for the Equal Rights Amendment would be well received. Advocacy for human rights for all would be splendid. Anthony was also a strong proponent of sex education, fair labor practices, excellent public education, equal pay for equal work, and elimination of all forms of discrimination.
As the National Historic Landmark and Museum that has been interpreting her life and work for seventy-five years, we would be delighted to share more.
Trump pardoned Anthony on Aug. 18, on the 100th anniversary of Tennessee providing the final ratification needed to adopt the 19th Amendment, which prohibits the government from denying the right to vote based on sex.
“She was never pardoned. Did you know that? She was never pardoned,” Trump said. “What took so long? She was guilty for voting, and we’re going to be signing a full and complete pardon.”
Democratic New York Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed the museum, saying, “I was deeply troubled to learn that Trump went ahead and treated her like a criminal.” She called on him to rescind his pardon, tweeting, “As highest-ranking woman elected official in New York and on behalf of Susan B. Anthony’s legacy we demand Trump rescind his pardon. She was proud of her arrest to draw attention to the cause for women’s rights, and never paid her fine. Let her Rest In Peace, [Trump].”
As highest ranking woman elected official in New York and on behalf of Susan B. Anthony’s legacy we demand Trump rescind his pardon.
She was proud of her arrest to draw attention to the cause for women’s rights, and never paid her fine. Let her Rest In Peace, @realDonaldTrump.
— Kathy Hochul (@LtGovHochulNY) August 18, 2020
After Trump’s pardon, The New York Times and others attempted to downplay Anthony’s legacy, claiming she did not do enough to support abortion rights or women of color.
As The Daily Wire reported:
The New York Times was quick to throw cold water on Trump’s efforts, though, pointing out that Susan B. Anthony is an “increasingly divisive figure” who is now an icon of “anti-abortion forces” and has been “criticized for relegating black suffragettes to the sidelines.”
Related: New York Times, Leftists Label Susan B. Anthony ‘Racist’ After She Gets A Trump Pardon