Civil Rights Leader. Lena Lorraine Santos Ferguson will be most remembered for her courage in advocating for civil rights for women-of-color. Ferguson researched her genealogy and knew that she had an ancestor who gave Civil Service in the American Revolutionary War, Jonah Gay, a white seaman from Massachusetts. Her nephew joined the Sons of the American Revolution in 1980 using the same patriot for his eligibility. She would be the second African-American member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) as Karen Batchelor was first accepted in 1977. She was admitted with an at-large NSDAR membership in 1983. Having two sponsors, she applied to be the first African American for membership in one of the 39 Washington D.C. chapters of Daughters of the American Revolution. In March of 1984, the chapter membership was denied. She wanted to be a chapter member in order to serve on committees and better serve her community. Upon review at the national level, it was decided that her chapter application may had been mishandled. The controversy generated extensive media coverage, including stories in the "Washington Post", the "Washington Times", the "New York Times", the "Wall Street Journal", "Newsweek" magazine, NBC Television's "Today" show and "60 Minutes" on CBS. Although she was very polite about the matter, she did receive legal assistance from pro bono lawyers from a large, worldwide firm. The national organization promised to be more open to minority memberships. Her case led NSDAR to take action by changing their bylaws to bar discrimination "on the basis of race, religion, or creed". Later she became an active member of the Elizabeth Jackson Chapter for 20 years, then the Margaret Whetten Chapter until her death in 2004. She was the founder and chair of the Washington, D.C. National Society of Daughters of American Revolution Scholarship Committee. After leaving her New England hometown, she was employed as a secretary for the United States Department of the Navy in Washington D.C. and later a secretary at a private Catholic school before retiring. Since this incident, NSDAR formed a committee, to include a genealogist, to help prospective members of all races establish their eligibility for membership. Volumes of genealogical data have been published. Included in these publications is "Forgotten Patriot," a text with an index of over 6,600 patriots with articles, grave markings, and placement of historical plaques that recognizes the involvement of African Americans and Native Americans in the struggle to make a new nation. Most recently, prospective members with Spanish heritage have discovered ancestors who provided aid to the most southern colonies, giving them a "proof of service" in the Revolutionary War. A collection of data on Women Patriots, such as Molly Pitcher, is also available. After joining a chapter which led to change, Ferguson said, "I wanted to honor my mother and father as well as my black and white heritage, and I want to encourage other black women to embrace their own rich history, because we're all Americans." In 2023, NDAR renamed its Washington, D.C., nursing scholarships as the "Daughters of the American Revolution – Lena Ferguson Scholarship," in honor of her and her contributions that changed NSDAR for the better. NSDAR also doubled the funds given to two nursing students at the University of the District of Columbia, raising the awards to $5,000 each annually.