Maud Malone

(1873–1951) Maud was an ardent believer in equal rights and is best known for her aggressive campaign tactics. In 1905, she organized the Harlem Equal Rights League. She believed in interrupting speakers by yelling “what about votes for women?”

At one point, Maud was arrested and spent a night in jail for heckling President Woodrow Wilson during one of his speeches. She also advocated for provocative street corner speeches, which others rejected as inappropriate. Maud was a member of the Progressive Woman Suffrage Union, but resigned over their unwillingness to embrace members from all races, colors, or creeds.

Maud Malone worked for the New York Public Library and was a founding member and spokesperson of the Library Employees' Union. Her ongoing advocacy for “equal pay for equal work” irritated the public library management, so they dismissed her from her job. Later in life she worked as librarian for the newspaper The Daily Worker.