Bettye Collier-Thomas facts for kids

Bettye Collier-Thomas (born Bettye Marie Collier on February 18, 1941) is a well-known historian. She studies the important history of African-American women.

Her Early Life and Education

Bettye Collier-Thomas grew up as the second of three children. Her parents, Joseph Thomas Collier and Katherine (Bishop) Collier, were both public school teachers. Her father was also a business executive. She went to elementary schools in New York, Georgia, and Florida. She finished high school in Jamaica, New York.

Her family was part of the black middle class. Many of her relatives were teachers, nurses, or business people. Her great-uncle, Frank Richard Veal, was a minister and led two historically black colleges.

At first, Bettye thought she would become a lawyer. But an inspiring teacher in 11th grade helped her decide to become a historian instead. When she married Charles J. Thomas, she added his name to hers, becoming Collier-Thomas.

She earned her first college degree from Allen University. She then got her master's degree from Atlanta University. In 1974, she made history by becoming the first black woman to earn a Ph.D. (a very high-level degree) in history from George Washington University.

Her Amazing Career

From 1966 to 1976, Dr. Collier-Thomas worked as a professor and leader at several universities, including Howard University.

In 1977, she became a special advisor for the National Endowment for the Humanities. She helped create the first program to support black museums and historical groups.

That same year, she became the first executive director of the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial Museum and National Archives for Black Women's History (BMA) in Washington, D.C. This museum was in a former private house. In 1982, the BMA became a National Historic Site. This meant it was recognized as an important historical place.

Under Dr. Collier-Thomas's leadership, the BMA became famous for focusing on the history of African-American women. It had many exhibits and programs that showed black women as educators, activists, artists, and musicians.

In 1994, she received a special award from the Department of the Interior. This award recognized her important role in creating the BMA. The Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt, said that Dr. Collier-Thomas had created the only place in the country dedicated only to collecting and saving materials about African-American women.

In 1989, Dr. Collier-Thomas left the BMA. She became a professor at Temple University and led the Temple University Center for African American History and Culture for eleven years. She also became a full professor in the History Department in 1997. She is also a distinguished lecturer and a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

What She Studied

As a scholar, Dr. Collier-Thomas focuses on the social and political history of African-American women. She has written about topics like black theater, religion, and women's groups.

She believes that many historians only look at race when talking about discrimination for African-Americans. However, she argues that African-American women face challenges not just because of their race, but also their social class and gender. She calls this "oppression-in-triplicate." She feels that this unique experience gives them a powerful voice to share their truth.

Books and Writings

Dr. Collier-Thomas has written several important books.

Her book Jesus, Jobs and Justice (2010) explores how both black and white Protestant women dealt with racial issues in the early 1900s. This period was before the Civil Rights Movement became widely known.

Another important book is Daughters of Thunder (1998). This book is a collection of sermons (religious speeches) given by black women from the 1800s and 1900s. Dr. Collier-Thomas spent two decades collecting these sermons. They are very important because sermons by women were rarely saved or recorded.

She has also co-authored and co-edited other books, including:

• Sisters in the Struggle: African American Women in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement (2001)
• My Soul is a Witness: A Chronology of the Civil Rights Era in the United States, 1954-1965 (2000)
• African American Women and the Vote, 1837-1965 (1997)