BHS Day 3: Mary Church Terrell

Hi! Shortly before the month started, I considered switching out some of the categories so that I could include other groups that I didn't feel I got a chance to spotlight last year. This category, though, was a non-negotiable and it seemed more important this year for me to keep it around. As I did last year, I'm going to try to make the number of activists and politicians even so that both get their moment in the sun. Since the theme over the past couple of days has been early pioneers of the civil rights movement, I thought I'd keep that going with today's entrant. Hope you enjoy!

Name: Mary Eliza Church Terrell, 1863-1954 Profession: Activist for women and civil rights, educator Why is the Spotlight on her today? For being an early contributor to both the civil rights and women's rights movements Notables and accomplishments:  --Was instrumental in the successful ruling of Columbia v John Thompson, a case that led into the outlawing of institutionalized discrimination in Washington, D.C. based on the court's ruling that the restaurant's policy of refusing service to Black individuals was illegal
--Was one of the first African-American women to obtain a college degree
--Was a member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, which later became what is known today as the League of Women Voters
--Helped establish the National Association of University Women, which does double duty in promoting and encouraging the resolution of issues that affect both women and African-Americans
--Served as a charter member of the NAACP
--Established the Colored Women's League, which later merged with the National Federation of Afro-American Women; after the organization was renamed the National Association of Colored Women, she served as the first president
--Was part of the group of women who officially validated the 19th Amendment for women's suffrage
--Was the first African-American woman to be appointed to the Washington, D.C. school board, where she served for a total of eleven years
--Helped form Howard University's Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
Research resources and further reading links: 

The African-American Almanac | AZ Quotes | National Women's History Museum | National Woman's Party | Columbia v Thompson case | National Association of University Women | NAWSA Wiki Quote of the Day: 
"A White woman only has one handicap to overcome in her life--that of sex. I have two--both sex and race. Colored men only have one--that of race. Colored women are the only group in this country who have two heavy handicaps to overcome; that of race as well as that of sex."
-Mary Church Terrell