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Kansas State Capitol - Rebel Women Mural

Rebel Women by Phyllis J. Garibay-Coon

Rebel Women, suffrage mural by Phyllis J. Garibay-Coon, Manhattan

Artist Phyllis J. Garibay-Coon of Manhattan created a mural for the Kansas State Capitol depicting 13 Kansas women integral to advancing women’s rights in the state. They are surrounded by women and children supporting the effort, carrying a banner with the state amendment passed by voters in 1912, “The rights of the citizens of the state of Kansas to Vote and hold offices shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex.” The mural was a project of the Kansas League of Women Voters.

From far left:

  • At door: Anna O. Anthony, (1844-1930), Leavenworth, sister-in-law of Susan B. Anthony, hosted national suffragists at her home during the 1887 campaign
  • Seated: Lutie A. Lytle, (1875-1955), Topeka, first African American woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association, lectured on Kansas’ marriage and divorce laws
  • Seated: Anna C. Wait, (1837-1916), Lincoln, published the Lincoln Beacon with 20 years of suffrage news, co-founded the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association (KESA)
  • Lilla D. Monroe,  (1858-1929), WaKeeney/Topeka, first woman to practice law before the Kansas Supreme Court, published the Kansas Woman’s Journal in Topeka
  • Annie L. Diggs, (1853-1916), Lawrence/Topeka, a People’s Party suffragist and KESA president; as the first female state librarian, helped design the Capitol’s state library
  • Laura M. Johns, (1849-1935), Salina, president of KESA and the Kansas Republican Woman’s Association, helped coordinate 30 state suffrage conventions
  • At center: Clarina I. H. Nichols, (1810-1885), Wyandotte, a lifelong and tireless advocate of abolition and woman's rights, she presented petitions for woman's rights at the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention in 1859, convincing delegates to include some accommodations for women
  • Holding resolution: Lizzie S. Sheldon, (1851-1942), Lawrence, University of Kansas law school graduate, wrote final woman suffrage resolution, ran for seat on the Kansas Supreme Court
  • Carrie (Langston) Hughes, (1873-1938), Lawrence, civil rights advocate and journalist, urged African American women to seek political careers, emphasized education for her son, Langston Hughes
  • Mary J. Dillard, (1874-1954), Lawrence, prominent educator, promoted civil rights in education, taught Langston Hughes
  • Jane L. Brooks, (1867-1945), Wichita, KESA president, founded first state chapter of the national League of Women Voters
  • Lucy B. Johnston, (1846-1937), Topeka, lawyer, expanded the Kansas Traveling Library collection; as KESA president, led the 1912 campaign to ratify the Kansas Equal Suffrage Amendment
  • Seated: Minnie J. Grinstead, (1869-1925), Larned/Liberal, first woman elected to the Kansas House of Representatives, presented the joint resolution to ratify the 19th Amendment

Artist Phyllis J. Garibay-Coon grew up on a family farm in Kingman County, the youngest of 10 children. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design from Kansas State University in Manhattan in 1987. After graduation, Garibay-Coon worked at Willoughby Design. Garibay-Coon works primarily in oil on a large-scale with content that provides storytelling or depicts the human experience. She lived outside Kansas and returned to live in Manhattan in 1997. She has completed artwork for public and private clients and participated in gallery showings in the community. In creating the 8 foot by 19 foot oil painting on canvas for the Kansas State Capitol, Rebel Women, Garibay-Coon was inspired by trailblazing suffragists in Kansas. She selected 13 women to feature in the mural who demonstrated “strength, courage, and tenacity” through challenging circumstances who in turn motivated hundreds of women and men to support a series of suffrage initiatives that led to passage of the 1912 woman’s suffrage amendment.

Numerous women were involved in the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association over the years. Many others supported suffrage and women's rights efforts through different organizations in Kansas:

Entry: Kansas State Capitol - Rebel Women Mural

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: November 2024

Date Modified: January 2025

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.