A national movement that began at St. Mary’s University five years ago continues to push for federal legislation, formally acknowledging the government’s internment of German-Americans at a camp in Crystal City, southwest of San Antonio, during World War II.

Even the rehearsal at St. Mary's University was emotionally powerful for the National Day of Remembrance event for German-American families held in internment camps during World War II.

Teresa Van Hoy is considered an authority on Mexican-American history, politics and culture.

“The 19th Amendment ensured the vote for women in the United States, Black women and white women. And that is the matter of racism in the women’s suffrage movement in the United States,” she said. It wouldn’t be until 1965′s federal Voter’s Rights Act, that everyone, including Black women, had the right to vote. “That comes as a big split, sense of betrayal, I think, on the part of white women. Meanwhile, white women were attempting to pass women’s suffrage state by state, largely focusing on Southern states.

Before women got the right to vote, the 15th Amendment, which passed in 1869 and was ratified the following year, gave Black men the right to vote. St. Mary’s University history professor Teresa Van Hoy says the move didn’t sit well with some white women. “One of the first things they said is that Black men should not receive the vote before white women,” Van Hoy said. Ad“They made many racist remarks about Black men,” Van Hoy said. “The 19th Amendment ensured the vote for women in the United States, Black women and white women,” Van Hoy said.

St. Marys University professor Teresa Van Hoy said after the Civil War, black union soldiers traveled from Louisiana and helped to liberate Mexico from French control. After the war, they (union soldiers) snuck across to Mexico to help Mexicans and Mexican-Americans overthrow the French, Van Hoy said. Van Hoy said the relationship angered some White Texans, who began killing the wagoneers, until San Antonio Mayor A. The mayor of San Antonio protested because the merchants were unhappy because they couldnt get their goods out, Van Hoy said. A good place to explore southern history is at the San Antonio African-American Community Archive and Museum located at 430 N. Cherry St.