Brotherhood of Liberty facts for kids
The Mutual United Brotherhood of Liberty, often called the Brotherhood of Liberty, was an important group started on June 2, 1885, in Baltimore, Maryland. Its main goal was to fight against unfair rules and protect the rights of African American people during a time known as the Jim Crow Era. This era had many laws that treated black people unfairly and kept them separate from white people.
The Brotherhood of Liberty used legal methods, like going to court, to stand up for the rights of African American people. It was founded by Reverend Harvey Johnson, who was a pastor at Union Baptist Church. Other local pastors, including Ananias Brown, William Moncure Alexander, Patrick Henry Alexander, John Calvin Allen, and W. Charles Lawson, also helped start the group. They worked hard to make sure African Americans could become lawyers and practice law in Maryland. The Brotherhood also helped create schools for the black community, leading the way in helping African Americans get better education, stay united, and improve their lives.
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Fighting for Education
When the Brotherhood of Liberty began, there were no high schools for African American children in Baltimore. Also, even if African American teachers passed their exams, the school board would not hire them. Schools for black children only had white teachers.
Making Schools Fair
The Brotherhood worked hard to change this. They talked to the city council, the school board, and even went to court to fix the problem. The school board claimed there weren't enough African American children in one area of Baltimore to build a public elementary school for them.
To prove them wrong, the Brotherhood of Liberty opened a temporary school at Shiloh Baptist Church. They enrolled 300 children and hired three teachers. This showed the school board that there was a real need. Because of their efforts, the first new public school for African Americans was built at Carrollton and Riggs Avenue.
First Black Teachers and Principals
The Brotherhood also helped get the first African American teachers and principals hired. Fannie Barbour became the first African American teacher, and George Biddle became the first African American principal. The school didn't open right away because some white people in the area tried to stop it and make it an all-white school. But the Brotherhood of Liberty kept fighting. They successfully created the first schools for African American children with African American teachers and principals, and they made sure these schools had the resources they needed to succeed.
Important Achievements
The Brotherhood of Liberty and its members achieved many great things for the African American community in Maryland.
Breaking Barriers in Law
- In 1885, Everett Waring, a member of the Brotherhood of Liberty, became the first black attorney to practice law in the Maryland court system.
- Waring was also the first black person allowed to join the bar of the Court of Appeals in 1880. This important step opened the door for five more black people from Baltimore to be accepted into the University of Maryland School of Law in 1890.
Opening New Schools
- In 1889, William M. Alexander, one of the original members of the Brotherhood of Liberty, opened Public School No. 9. This was the very first public school specifically for black children.
Removing Unfair Words
- In 1888, the Brotherhood celebrated a big victory at Irving Park. They had successfully worked to remove the word "white" from certain laws in Maryland, which was a step towards more equal rights for everyone.
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