Today is Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. | Flickr
Today is Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. | Flickr
Today is Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. Peratrovich's legacy is commemorated every February 16 to honor her life and to celebrate her contributions toward advancing civil rights for all Alaskans.
Elizabeth Peratrovich was a Tlingit woman from the Raven moiety, Lukaax̱.ádi clan. She faced discrimination in many ways. When Elizabeth and her family moved to Juneau in the 1940s, they were not able to lease the house they found because they were Alaska Native. However, she soon used her position as president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood to fight for Civil Rights for Alaska Native people. In February of 1945, Elizabeth Peratrovich addressed the Alaska Territorial Legislature with a compelling speech for civil rights, and shortly after, House Bill 14 was passed and became known as the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945.
The following Molly of Denali episode published by PBS is a great resource that is helpful in developing discussions about Elizabeth Peratrovich and her contributions to American Civil Rights.
Original source can be found here.
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