Mary Church Terrell, American Activist and Educator

Mary Church Terrell, American Activist and Educator

Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954), American activist and educator. Terrell was one of the first African American women to earn a college degree, and became known as a national activist for civil rights and suffrage. She taught in the Latin Department of the M Street school (Paul Laurence Dunbar High School), Washington, DC, the first African American public high school in the nation. In 1896 she was the first African American woman in the USA to be appointed to the school board of a major city, serving in the District of Columbia until 1906. Terrell was a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (1909) and the Colored Women's League of Washington (1894). She also helped found the National Association of Colored Women (1896) and served as its first national president, and she also was a founding member of the National Association of College Women (1910). After the age of 80, Terrell continued to participate in picket lines, protesting the segregation of restaurants and theaters. During her senior years, she also succeeded in persuading the local chapter of the American Association of University Women to admit black members.

Album / Science Source / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Model: No - Property: No
Rights questions?

3167 x 4500 px | 40.8 MB

26.8 x 38.1 cm | 10.6 x 15.0 in (300 dpi)