Clarie Collins Harvey facts for kids

Clarie Collins Harvey (born Emma Augusta Clarie Collins; November 27, 1916 - May 27, 1995) was an African American businesswoman, church leader, and a very important activist during the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. Her group, Womanpower Unlimited, is famous for helping the Freedom Riders when they were held in Parchman Penitentiary. Because of her long career helping others, Harvey received many awards. One big award was the Outstanding Mississippian Award, given to her by Governor William Waller in 1974.

Early Life and Education

Clarie Collins Harvey was born in Meridian, Mississippi. Her parents were Malachi and Mary Collins. Her father, Malachi, was a minister, a business owner, and an activist. He started the funeral home that Clarie would later run. He also helped create the Jackson, Mississippi branch of the NAACP, a group that fought for civil rights. Her mother, Mary, also worked for social justice. She became the first Black librarian in Mississippi. Both parents taught Clarie the importance of activism, which she would develop in college.

Since she was the only child of a successful middle-class family, Clarie had many chances for education and careers that other Black Mississippians didn't have. She earned her first degree in economics from Spelman College. She also got a certificate from Indiana College of Mortuary Science to become a funeral director. Later, she earned a master's degree from Columbia University. She also studied at other places like the Union Theological Seminary, Tougaloo College, and New York University.

During her last year at Spelman, Clarie traveled to Amsterdam. She went to represent the YWCA at a big meeting called the World Conference of Christian Youth. On this trip, she met her future husband, Martin L. Harvey. Martin was also an important activist and a leader in education for several HBCUs. A building at Southern University was named after him to honor his work as the dean of students. Clarie and Martin dated for a long time. During this time, they both earned more degrees and worked on their careers. Clarie's father passed away while she was in Amsterdam, and she was expected to take on a bigger role at her family's funeral home. Clarie and Martin finally married on August 1, 1943. Their marriage was long-distance because their jobs kept them in different cities.

Activism for Change

Church and Community Work

Clarie's parents raised her in the Methodist Church. This introduced her to the ecumenical movement (which means working together across different Christian churches) from a young age. Clarie used her faith as a way to start her long career as an activist. At Spelman, she was the President of the YWCA group on campus during her senior year. After college, she became the Secretary of the National Council of Methodist Youth. She also served as Secretary for the General Board of Christian Social Concerns of the Methodist Church from 1960 to 1964. She even helped create a church center for the United Nations. Her work for the Methodist Committee for Overseas Relief helped people in more than 78 countries around the world. Clarie even met Pope John XXIII during a trip to Rome.

Clarie Harvey spoke out about the lack of diversity in the United Methodist Church. She later became the first Black woman to be the President of Church Women United. This group was the largest women's organization when Harvey was elected, with over 30 million members. Clarie held many important church leadership jobs that were usually given to white women or Black men. Her hard work was recognized with several awards, including America's Churchwoman of the Year and the Upper Room Citation.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Clarie Harvey helped start Womanpower Unlimited. This was a civil rights group that played a huge role in supporting the civil rights movement in Mississippi. The idea for the group came to Clarie when she saw the first Freedom Riders on trial in the state. Her co-founder, Aurelia N. Young, was married to one of the lawyers helping the Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders decided not to pay bail, so Clarie knew they would need help while they were in jail at Parchman Penitentiary.

Womanpower Unlimited raised money from Black Mississippians in the area. The group used the strength of women activists. Clarie had noticed that women were often limited in male-led groups like the NAACP. Or, they were only allowed to do "feminine" tasks like hosting parties in bigger women's groups. Many Freedom Riders said that the support they got from Womanpower Unlimited was why they could handle the tough conditions in prison. Later, Womanpower Unlimited did more than just help prisoners. They also organized voter registration events, pushed for schools to be desegregated, and created scholarships for education. The group also offered homes and help to people who took part in the Freedom Summer of 1964.

Through her involvement in Wednesdays in Mississippi, Clarie Harvey worked with white women and built friendships across racial lines. She provided money and meeting places for the group. Following this idea of working together, she and other members of Womanpower Unlimited started a group called the Chain of Friendship. This group brought white women from northern states to Mississippi to create a community where different races could work together. Clarie also spent ten years on the Mississippi Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She was also part of several other civil rights groups, including the National Council of Negro Women, the NAACP, and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Business for Justice

Clarie Harvey used her business skills and her position as a Black business owner to help advance the rights of Black people, support Black businesses, and improve Black communities. During the Civil Rights Movement, many Black middle-class people were afraid to speak out because their white employers might fire them. Clarie's own husband told her he couldn't join the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party because he worked for a state organization. However, as the owner of Collins Funeral Home and Insurance Company and a co-founder of State Mutual Savings and Loan Association, Clarie only depended on her Black customers for money. This meant she could openly take part in the Civil Rights Movement and speak out against white supremacy without worrying about losing money from white Mississippians.

Clarie used her business smarts to help the NAACP with their marketing plans. She also encouraged "selective buying campaigns." These campaigns meant people would not buy from businesses that refused to hire or treat Black workers fairly, which caused those businesses to lose money. Clarie also used her funeral expertise and resources to organize the funeral of Medgar Evers, a very important civil rights activist and friend. As a funeral director, Clarie used death as a way to make a political statement. She sent newsletters from her funeral home to Black Mississippians who might have felt overwhelmed or numb to the violence from white people.

Fighting Poverty

Even though she was financially successful, Clarie Harvey was a strong supporter of fighting poverty. She believed it was important to improve the money situations of all Black Southerners to achieve true racial equality. As a high-earning member of the African American community, Clarie felt she had a role in fighting poverty. She fought for the right to good public housing, invested in Black businesses, and when she saw companies like Sears taking advantage of poor and racially oppressed people, she quickly sold her stocks in those companies.

Clarie worked with Mayor Allen Thompson to make living conditions better for poor Black Mississippians. At first, Thompson claimed there were no "slums" in Jackson. Clarie responded by giving tours of the low-income parts of their community. Her tours showed that the Mayor's claims were wrong and highlighted the financial struggles many Black Mississippians faced. Thompson then decided to admit there was a problem and work with Clarie. He appointed her to the Jackson Redevelopment Authority. Clarie also worked with the Farish Street Management Association and the Jackson Chapter of the National Business League to help improve city areas.

When the Office of Economic Opportunity gave money to the Hinds County Community Service Association, Clarie Harvey was its first leader. During her time with the Association, she convinced Vice President Hubert Humphrey to bring over 300 more jobs to the local Youth Corp.

Other Important Work

Clarie Harvey's work always focused on helping Black women, but some of her achievements specifically related to women's rights. She advised President Ford on women's issues in the United States and contributed to the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women.

Clarie also helped children through her work as a member of the Children's Defense Fund in Washington D.C. She also provided scholarships to teenagers who wanted to go to college.

She supported the rights of many different groups through her work as a member of the Board of Southern Regional Council, Inc., Mississippi Industrial Special Services, and as a member of the Progressive Action Committee. Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy invited Clarie to contribute to the White House Conferences on Human Affairs. She also served on the advisory board for Habitat for Humanity, attended the "World Without the Bomb" Peace Conference in Ghana, and was a delegate for the Women for Peace Conference in Geneva. She also went to the Seventeenth National Disarmament Conference in Geneva and traveled to Paris for the Vietnam Peace Talks.

Later Life

Clarie and Martin never had children. Instead, Clarie spent her later years focusing her efforts on the local Jackson, Mississippi community. She also served as a trustee (a person who manages money or property) for several universities and institutes, including Atlanta University, Rust College, Millsaps College, and the Tuskegee Institute. She continued to work as a funeral director, and her business, the State Mutual Savings and Loan Association, grew into a multi-million dollar company. Clarie Harvey continued her activist work until she passed away on May 27, 1995.

Achievements and Awards

• Honorary Doctorate from Spelman College (1977).
• Honorary Doctorate from Rust College (December 1971).
• Outstanding Mississippian Award from Governor William Waller (December 30, 1974).
• Received one of the "Awards of Distinction" from the University of Mississippi.
• Churchwoman of the Year from Religious Heritage of America (1974).
• Upper Room Citation (1976).
• Woman of the Year from the National Funeral Directors Association (1955).
• Named Spelman's outstanding alumna (1966).
• Received Outstanding Citizen of Jackson award (1971).
• NAACP Generational Award (1991).
• Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference Award (1973).
• Top Hat Award, New Pittsburg Courier (1974).
• Outstanding Small Business Woman, Central Region, National Council of Small Business Management Development (1976).
• Black Students Association for Outstanding Leadership (1982).
• Council of Deliberation Black History Award (1990).
• Received the Black History award at Jackson State University (1990).
• Gave the commencement speech at Spelman College (1973).
• State President of Mississippi Funeral Directors and Morticians Association.
• Albert Gallatin Business Award Certificate of Merit (1975).
• Regional VI Governor of the National Association of Funeral Directors and Embalmers (1956-1960).