Elizabeth Peratrovich
Native-American civil rights activist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Elizabeth Peratrovich (née Elizabeth Jean Wanamaker; Tlingit: Ḵaax̲gal.aat [qʰaχ.ɡʌɬ.ʔatʰ];[1] July 4, 1911 – December 1, 1958)[2] was an American civil rights activist, Grand President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood,[3] and a Tlingit who worked for equality on behalf of Alaska Natives.[4] In the 1940s, her advocacy was credited as being instrumental in the passing of Alaska's Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945, the first state or territorial anti-discrimination law enacted in the United States.
Elizabeth Peratrovich | |
---|---|
Ḵaax̲gal.aat | |
Born | Ḵaax̲gal.aat July 4, 1911 (1911-07-04) Petersburg, District of Alaska, U.S. |
Died | December 1, 1958(1958-12-01) (aged 47) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Other names | Elizabeth Jean Wanamaker |
Education | |
Organization | Alaska Native Sisterhood |
Known for |
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Spouse |
Roy Peratrovich (m. 1931) |
Children | 3 |
In 1988, Alaska Governor Steve Cowper established April 21 as Elizabeth Peratrovich Day "for her courageous, unceasing efforts to eliminate discrimination and bring about equal rights in Alaska. The date was later changed to February 16 in observance of the day in 1945 on which the Anti-Discrimination Act was approved.[1][5] In March 2019, her obituary was added to The New York Times as part of their "Overlooked No More" series,[6] and in 2020, the United States Mint released a $1 coin inscribed with Peratrovich's likeness in honor of her historic achievements.[7] The Peratrovich family papers, including correspondence, personal papers, and news clippings related to the civil-rights work done by Peratrovich and her husband, are currently held at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.[8]