According to the Utah Women Working for Better Days! exhibits from the J. Willard Marriott Library, Elizabeth Taylor was a newspaperwoman and the President of the Western Federation of Colored Women. Documentation from the 1890s identifies Taylor as a newspaper editor of the Utah Plain Dealer, which was one of six black newspapers in Utah representing minority voices between 1890 and 1910.
As noted in the Utah Women Working for Better Days! collection, Taylor was pictured in the Utah Plain Dealer newspaper during the 1890s. At that time, the publication was one of a small group of minority-focused newspapers in the state. The library exhibits identify Taylor as an advocate alongside many other women who shaped the social and political landscape of the region.
According to the Utah Women Working for Better Days! messaging archives, the period between 1872 and the beginning of World War I saw The Woman’s Exponent advocating for women’s suffrage. In the decades following, the landscape of women's advocacy in Utah evolved through various organizations and media outlets. The library exhibits note that during the 1970s, Utah women lobbied for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to guarantee constitutional equality to women. While the ERA has not been ratified in the State of Utah or nationally to date, the efforts of women like Taylor laid the groundwork for subsequent generations of advocates.
The Utah Women Working for Better Days! exhibits include Taylor as one of 50 advocates depicted by illustrator Brooke Smart. Smart worked closely with family members and community historians to portray these women and their work authentically. This collection highlights Taylor's dual role as both a media professional and a community leader. As a newspaperwoman, she utilized the press to reach audiences, and as President of the Western Federation of Colored Women, she held a leadership position within a significant organizational structure.
Historical records from the Utah Women Working for Better Days! exhibits show that Taylor's era was one of significant shifts in representation. The collection notes that the Utah Plain Dealer was a vital source for minority voices during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through her work in journalism and her leadership in the Federation, Taylor contributed to the complex history of women's advocacy in the region. The library's records indicate that her contributions are part of a broader legacy that includes many other figures, such as Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon, who was the first female State Senator and founder of the Utah State Board of Health, and Olene Walker, who was Utah's first female Lieutenant Governor and only female Governor.
What this means for Willard
For the residents of Willard, the history of Elizabeth Taylor serves as a reminder of the long-standing tradition of advocacy and journalism in Utah. Her documented roles as a newspaperwoman and organizational president during the 1890s illustrate how women have historically utilized media and community leadership to represent minority voices and advocate for social change.
