Grace Campbell

(1883–1943) As part of her advocacy for women's suffrage, Grace held membership in the Northeastern Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, an umbrella organization for fifty-five black women's clubs across the region. The federation supported anti-lynching advocacy, the work of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), child welfare, and sent $20 per month to help support Harriet Tubman and her old folks' home in Auburn, NY.

The Federation formally adopted a woman suffrage resolution and sought membership in the National American Woman Suffrage Association. NAWSA denied the request for fear of losing the support of southern women. Grace often spoke at these kinds of meetings and at other political gatherings.

Grace, a socialist, is most well-known for her campaigns for the New York State Assembly in 1919 and 1920, as she became the first woman of color to run for a New York state-level public office. Grace cofounded the 21st Assembly branch of the Socialist Party, and became one of the three first African American members.