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.

Ferguson pushed for the Daughters of the American Revolution to revise their national bylaws, leading to the organization banning discrimination based on race.

[1] In 1984, Ferguson convinced the Daughters of the American Revolution to revise the national bylaws so that discrimination on the basis of race or creed was barred from all chapters.

[1] Ferguson also worked with the Daughters of the American Revolution to support students of color in Washington, D.C. through scholarship programs offered by the organization.

[6] Ferguson was the second African-American woman to join the Daughters of the American Revolution, following Karen Batchelor, who was admitted to a local chapter in Royal Oak, Michigan in 1977.

Senator Chuck Grassley released a statement celebrating Ferguson's formal recognition by the Daughters of the American Revolution.