Anna Belle Rhodes Penn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anna Belle Rhodes Penn
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| Born |
Anna Belle Rhodes
18 June 1865 |
| Died | 4 June 1930 (aged 64) |
| Resting place | The United American Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Shaw University |
| Occupation | Poet, essayist, educator |
| Spouse(s) | Irvine Garland Penn (m. 1889) |
| Children | 7 |
Anna Belle Rhodes Penn (born June 18, 1865, died June 4, 1930) was a talented African American writer and teacher. She wrote essays and poems. She even started college at Shaw University when she was only 13 years old!
Early Life and Learning
Anna Belle Rhodes was born in Paris, Kentucky on June 18, 1865. Her parents were William Emerson and Sophia Piland Rhodes. When Anna was young, her family moved to Lynchburg, Virginia. There, she went to a private school.
Anna was very smart. She began her studies at Shaw University in 1878, when she was just 13. She earned her college degree in Classics in 1880. After graduating, she taught at the university for two years. Then, she went back to Virginia to continue her teaching career.
In 1886, Anna attended a special summer program. This program was at the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. Today, it is called Virginia State University. Attending this program was a requirement for teachers in Virginia at the time. Anna was one of the first Black women to join this program.
During the program, Anna gave a speech called "All that glitters is not gold." People loved her speech. The university's president, John Mercer Langston, praised her work. He said her speech was one of the best he had ever heard. John Mercer Langston was the uncle of the famous poet Langston Hughes.
Anna married Irvine Garland Penn on December 26, 1889. He was also a teacher. They got married in Lynchburg, Virginia. Anna and Irvine had seven children together: Wilhelmina, Irvine Garland Jr., Georgia, Elizabeth, Louise, Marie, and Anna Belle.
Her Work as a Writer
Anna started writing essays and poems when she was still in school. Her friends and teachers encouraged her. Later, she became well-known for her writing.
At her own graduation, she read a poem called 'No Footsteps Backward'. On December 1, 1890, she read another poem. It was called 'Light Out of Darkness'. She read it at a big celebration for Shaw University. This poem celebrated how Shaw University helped Black Americans learn to read. It used ideas of light and dark, like in the Bible.
Anna also wrote poems about personal feelings. These included themes like love and sadness. Her poems and essays were printed in many newspapers. People often praised her writing. She was also known as a great speaker. Many people wanted her to speak at their events.
People said Anna was a great help to her husband. She helped Irvine prepare his first book. It was called The Afro-American Press and Its Editors (1891). Anna also wrote an essay for his 1902 book. That book was called The United Negro: His Problems and His Progress. It was a collection of speeches from a Christian education meeting.
Even though some thought she would, Anna Belle Rhodes Penn did not publish her own book.
Later Life and Passing
Anna Belle Rhodes Penn passed away in 1930. This was just a few weeks before her husband died. Both Anna and Irvine were buried in the Colored American Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Anna Belle Rhodes Penn
