15 activists from Virginia you should know about

Discover the influential activists from Virginia who have fought for justice and left a lasting impact on the state and nation.

From civil rights pioneers to suffrage advocates, Virginia has been home to influential activists who fought for justice and equality. Some championed causes decades ago, while others continue their work today. Whether advocating for racial equity, women’s rights, or LGBTQ+ liberation, these Virginians have left a lasting impact on both the commonwealth and the nation. Here are some of the key figures you should know.

1. Willis A. Hodges

Willis A. Hodges (1815-1890) was a prominent antislavery activist, newspaper editor, and political leader in post-Civil War Virginia. Born free in Princess Anne County, he became an ardent abolitionist, cofounding the “Ram’s Horn” newspaper in 1847 and forging ties with John Brown. After the war, he returned to Virginia, where he opened a school, engaged in Republican politics, and served as a delegate to the state’s constitutional convention of 1867–1868, advocating for racial equality and radical reforms. Though unsuccessful in multiple legislative races, he held local office and became the first African American keeper of the Cape Henry lighthouse, leaving a legacy of activism and public service.

Willis A. Hodges. (Encyclopedia Virginia)

2. Hester Jeffrey

Hester Jeffrey (1842–1934) was a prominent African American suffragist, activist, and community leader who played a vital role in advancing civil rights and women’s suffrage. Born free in Norfolk, she was exposed to abolitionist ideals early in life while living in Boston. After moving to Rochester, New York, in 1891, she built a strong political network, befriending Susan B. Anthony and working with numerous advocacy groups, including the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and the Rochester Political Equality Club. She founded organizations supporting Black women and children, such as the Hester C. Jeffrey Women’s Club, and helped revitalize the National Afro-American Council. Her lifelong commitment to racial and gender equality cemented her legacy as a pioneering force in American activism.

3. Thomasina E. Jordan

Thomasina Elizabeth Jordan (1940–1999), also known as Red Hawk Woman, was a dedicated American Indian activist and the first Native American to serve in the United States Electoral College in 1988. A member of the Wampanoag tribe, she was a tireless advocate for federal recognition and tribal sovereignty for Virginia’s Indigenous communities. As chair of the Virginia Council on Indians, she championed educational, health, and economic opportunities for Native citizens. Her legacy was cemented with the passage of the 2017 Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act, which granted federal status to six Virginia tribes. Her lifelong efforts helped shape the future of Native recognition and rights in the Commonwealth.

4. Caroline F. Putnam 

Caroline F. Putnam, born in Massachusetts in 1826, was a dedicated abolitionist and educator who made significant contributions to the welfare of freed slaves in Virginia. A graduate of Oberlin College, she became close friends with fellow abolitionist Sallie Holley, and together they traveled the northern United States to advocate for abolition. In 1868, Putnam founded the Holley School in Lottsburg, Virginia, named in honor of Holley, where she taught African American children during the day and freed slaves in the evening. Her school offered vital education in reading, writing, and arithmetic, providing opportunities for empowerment during the post-Civil War period. Putnam ran the school until her retirement in 1903 and spent the rest of her life in Lottsburg, where she passed away in 1917, leaving behind a lasting legacy in Virginia’s educational and abolitionist history.

Sallie Holley and Caroline F. Putnam. (CC0 1.0)

5. Virginia Minor

Virginia Louisa Minor was a pioneering activist for women’s suffrage, best known for her role in the 1872 case challenging voting restrictions for women. Born in 1824 in Virginia, she was involved in the early stages of the woman suffrage movement, co-founding the Woman Suffrage Association of Missouri in 1867, the first organization focused exclusively on securing the vote for women. Minor argued that women, as U.S. citizens under the 14th Amendment, already had the constitutional right to vote. In 1872, she attempted to register to vote in St. Louis, sparking a landmark legal battle after being denied by a registrar. The case, Virginia Minor v. Reese Happersett, ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against her, reinforcing the notion that the Constitution did not guarantee the right to vote. Despite the setback, Minor continued advocating for women’s rights, leaving a legacy of courage and determination that influenced future suffrage efforts.

6. John Parker

John Parker (1827-1900), born enslaved in Virginia in 1827, endured a harsh early life, being sold away from his mother at age eight and forced to walk chained from Virginia to Alabama. Despite facing such adversity, he eventually earned enough money through extra work as a skilled craftsman to buy his freedom. After moving to Cincinnati and then Ripley, Ohio, Parker became one of the most courageous and effective abolitionists of his time. He actively defied the Fugitive Slave Law by “invading” Kentucky farms at night, rescuing hundreds of enslaved individuals and guiding them to freedom across the Ohio River. Although he kept detailed records of those he helped, Parker destroyed them in 1850 to protect his family and business from the repercussions of the law.

7. Adah Belle Samuels Thoms

Adah Belle Samuels Thoms (1870-1943), born and educated in Richmond, Virginia, was a pioneering advocate for African American women’s rights, particularly in education and healthcare. Starting her career as a teacher in Virginia, Thoms transitioned to nursing, where she made significant contributions to the profession. As President of the Lincoln Hospital Alumnae Association, she helped establish the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses in New York City. Thoms played a crucial role in advocating for the inclusion of Black nurses in the American Red Cross during World War I and was instrumental in increasing the representation of African American nurses in public health positions.

8. Lucy Goode Brooks

Lucy Goode Brooks (1818-1900) was a formerly enslaved woman who became a champion for African American orphans in post-Civil War Richmond. After securing freedom for herself and several of her children, she was unable to prevent one daughter from being sold into slavery in Tennessee, an experience that fueled her lifelong commitment to aiding parentless children. Recognizing the urgent need for support among newly emancipated families, she worked with local Quakers, churches, and charitable organizations to establish the Friends’ Asylum for Colored Orphans in 1872. The orphanage provided care and shelter for nearly sixty years, serving as a testament to Brooks’ dedication to community and social welfare.

Lucy Goode Brooks. (Encyclopedia Virginia)

9. Martha Ellen Sampson Forrester

Martha Ellen Sampson Forrester was a trailblazing educator and activist dedicated to improving educational opportunities for Black students in Virginia. Born in Richmond in the mid-1860s, she began her career as a teacher before becoming a leader in Black women’s social activism. After moving to Farmville, she founded the Farmville Council of Colored Women in 1920, advocating for better schools and resources for Black students. Under her leadership, the Council played a key role in securing funding for a new school and later fought for a dedicated Black high school. Her activism laid the groundwork for future civil rights efforts, including the legal battle that led to Brown v. Board of Education.

10. Maggie Lena Walker

Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934), a pioneering business leader from Richmond, Virginia, became the first woman to own a bank in the United States, the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, in 1903. Born to enslaved parents, Walker overcame numerous hardships, including the death of her father and her own financial struggles, to establish herself as an influential figure in the African American community. She was an active member of the Independent Order of St. Luke’s, where she promoted economic self-sufficiency for Black Americans. Walker also led the St. Luke Herald and founded a community insurance company for women. After her husband’s tragic death in 1915, she continued her civic work, advocating for women’s rights and serving in leadership roles with the National Association of Colored Women and the NAACP. Despite health challenges later in life, Walker’s legacy as a trailblazer for Black entrepreneurship endures, with her bank surviving the Great Depression and still in operation today.

11. Naomi Silverman Cohn

Naomi Silverman Cohn (1888–1982) was a dedicated civic leader and advocate for women’s rights, labor reform, and political engagement in Virginia. Born to Polish immigrants in Bristol, Pennsylvania, she moved to Richmond after marrying attorney Jacob Saul Cohn in 1909. While raising her children, she became deeply involved in organizations such as the National Council of Jewish Women, the League of Women Voters, and the Virginia Consumers’ League. A tireless advocate for workers, she played a key role in securing a 48-hour workweek limit for women in Virginia and later worked as a factory inspector. In 1950, she broke new ground as the only woman in a crowded race for Richmond’s city council. Cohn remained committed to civic activism throughout her life, earning recognition as a trailblazer for women in Virginia politics and social reform.

Naomi Silverman Cohn. (Library of Virginia)

12. Dr. Virgil A. Wood

Dr. Virgil A. Wood, a Baptist minister and educator, was deeply involved in the Civil Rights movement, particularly during his time in Lynchburg, where he helped establish the Lynchburg Improvement Association, a local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Wood worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and played a key role in organizing Virginia’s participation in the 1963 March on Washington. He holds a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University and has worked as an educator and administrator, including at Virginia Seminary and College. Wood’s lifelong commitment to economic and spiritual development is evident through his work with the Opportunities Industrialization Centers and his continued efforts to address the root causes of poverty through public-private collaborations.

13. Joan Trumpauer 

Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, a Civil Rights activist, played a significant role in the movement as a white Southern woman who defied racial segregation. She participated in over 50 sit-ins, demonstrations, and marches, including the Freedom Rides and the Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-in, and was a key figure in the Selma to Montgomery March. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Arlington County, Mulholland’s activism took her throughout the South, where she faced violent opposition, including death threats and being targeted by the Ku Klux Klan. Her work with the Congress of Racial Equality and participation in protests against segregated practices marked her as a pivotal figure in challenging the systemic racism of the Jim Crow era. Her dedication to social justice earned her widespread recognition, such as the 2015 National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award.

14. ABilly Jones-Hennin

ABilly Jones-Hennin, born in 1942 in St. John’s, Antigua, and raised in Virginia, served in the US Marine Corps and graduated from Virginia State University in 1967. Initially married with three children, ABilly’s journey toward LGBTQ activism began in Minneapolis before moving to Washington, DC, where he identified as bisexual and became a leader in the LGBTQ movement. In 1978, he co-founded the National Coalition of Black Gays and played a key role in the first March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. ABilly also helped establish the Lambda Student Alliance at Howard University and has held leadership positions in various LGBTQ organizations, including the National AIDS Network and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. His activism continues to focus on both racial and LGBTQ equality.

ABilly Jones-Hennin. (CC0 1.0)

15. Scott Long

Scott Long, a human rights activist and founding director of the LGBT Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, has spent nearly two decades combating discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV status worldwide. A Radford University graduate, he played a key role in ending Egypt’s crackdown on gay men, helped repeal Romania’s Article 200, and successfully lobbied the UN to address LGBTQ+ rights. He has held leadership roles at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, taught in Europe, and contributed to the Yogyakarta Principles, all while working to make human rights advocacy accessible to grassroots activists globally.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.