Annie L. McPheeters facts for kids
Annie Lou McPheeters (born February 22, 1908 – died December 23, 1994) was an amazing African American librarian. She was also a brave civil rights activist. She is famous for starting the Negro History Collection at the Auburn Carnegie Library in Atlanta, Georgia. This collection helped people learn about Black history. Later, a library branch in Atlanta was named after her to honor her important work.
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A Leader in Libraries
In 1936, Annie McPheeters became the librarian at the Auburn Carnegie Library in Atlanta, Georgia. Here, she started the Negro History Collection. This special collection helped people learn about the history and culture of African Americans. She also helped create many educational programs for the community. She was the head librarian there throughout the 1930s and 1940s.
Breaking Barriers
In 1949, Annie McPheeters became the first African-American professional librarian in the Atlanta Public Library system. She worked in the Negro Department with two other librarians. She was in charge of three separate library branches for Black patrons. These branches were Auburn, University Homes, and West Hunter.
Teaching and Learning
In the 1950s, these libraries offered important educational programs. They taught Black patrons about politics and government. They even showed people how to use voting machines. These programs helped people understand their rights and how to participate in their community.
Fighting for Equality
Annie McPheeters met many people at the library, including young Martin Luther King Jr. and Maynard Jackson. She strongly believed that libraries should be open to everyone. She worked hard to end segregation in Atlanta's libraries. Thanks to her efforts, libraries in Atlanta finally became desegregated in 1959. This meant people of all races could use the same libraries.
After her work in public libraries, she joined Georgia State University. From 1966 to 1975, she was a librarian there. She was the first African-American faculty member at that university. From 1977 to 1979, she worked as a consultant for a company called Pergamon Press.
Her Early Life and Education
Annie McPheeters was born on February 22, 1908. Her birthplace was Berwin, Georgia. Her parents were Josephine (Dozier) Watters and William A. Watters. She grew up in Rome, Georgia. Later, she moved to Atlanta for high school and college.
Becoming a Librarian
She studied English Literature at Clark Atlanta University, finishing in 1929. Then, she went to Hampton University for Library Science, graduating in 1933. She continued her studies and earned a higher degree in Library Science in 1947. This degree was from Columbia University.
In 1940, she married Alphonso McPheeters. He was a professor of education at Clark University. Annie McPheeters was also part of several groups. These included the Helen A. Whiting Society and the Utopian Literary Club. She was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Annie McPheeters passed away on December 23, 1994. Her important papers are kept at the Auburn Avenue Research Library.
