A D.C. woman who broke color barriers has been honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution during their annual convention.
Dozens of DAR members and family packed the small garden outside the National Headquarters on D Street near the National Mall. They were there to honor a late member, Lena Santos Ferguson.
Her daughter and president general of the group lifted the cover of a plaque displaying her achievements.
“It’s a dream I never expected to happen. I feel like I’m in heaven right now along with my mom,” Serena Ferguson told WTOP after the ceremony.
Lena Ferguson, who is Black, began to apply to become a DAR chapter member after discovering she was a descendant of Jonah Gay, who supported the Revolutionary War as a town committee member of Friendship, Maine.
She began applying in 1980 but was denied for four years. Finally, in 1984, she was admitted and the process resulted in the DAR revising its rule barring chapters from any racial discrimination.
“Every interview, she would get so nervous, but you’d never know it when she got into it,” her daughter said. “But it really took a lot out of her during those four years. But she got a lot out of it when she was a member of the DAR.”
Lena Ferguson became a very active member, and eventually advocated for a project that focused more research on the American Revolution’s patriots of color.
“It’s very difficult when you’re talking about, back then, people may have had just one name. And that was that. So, they did the research, and they came up with the names,” said Serena.
The project eventually led to the 874-page resource book, Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War.
She also chose winners of two DAR scholarships that were created in the agreement when she joined. They are now named after her, and are awarded every year to two minority students who graduate from D.C. Public Schools and attend the nursing program at the University of the District of Columbia.
“Her advocacy changed our organization,” said DAR President General Pamela Wright.
“You can’t change the past, but you can acknowledge your past and improve on your present.”
Wright told WTOP that the Daughters of the American Revolution are continuing to research enslaved people who contributed to the Revolution, and tracing their descendants to garner new members.
“We’re working on ways to make it easier for all underrepresented ethnicity,” Wright added. “People, no matter who they are, if you’re eligible to join DAR, we want you and we welcome you.”
