Lena Santos Ferguson
Lena Santos Ferguson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lena Lorraine Santos 1928 New Britain, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | 2004 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | secretary, civil rights advocate |
| Spouse | James H. Ferguson |
| Children | 2 |
Lena Lorraine Santos Ferguson (1928 – 2004) was an American secretary and civil rights advocate. Ferguson was denied membership to a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1980 due to her race, after applying multiple times. She was admitted to the organization as an at-large member in 1983, becoming the second known African-American member. Ferguson pushed for the Daughters of the American Revolution to revise their national bylaws, leading to the organization banning discrimination based on race. She later founded, and served as chair, of the D.C. DAR Scholarship Committee. Ferguson was honored with a memorial plaque in the garden at DAR Constitution Hall in 2023.