IJA Response

I was surprised with the relations between different races and ethnicities in Iron Jawed Angels. It seemed that the tension and oppression that occurred within the movement were pushed to the back burner and downplayed. While a Black woman from the Chicago delegation did make a stand against the segregation of Black and White women in the parade, I felt that the impact of joining the parade and the ramifications were likely downplayed. I also found it interesting that most of the working women who joined the movement were treated as equals, although many of them appeared to be immigrants. During the early 19th century immigrants faced wide-spread prejudice and discrimination, and I found it interesting that the women's movement appeared to welcome these women as equals but did not do the same for Black women. I know this movie is about the movement as a whole and not specifically about race, but I thought the impact of race and class on the movement should have been given a little more emphasis. Regardless, I think Iron Jawed Angels is an extremely informative and powerful movie, and a great learning tool for both men and women.