Cora Catherine Calhoun Horne facts for kids

Cora Catherine Calhoun Horne (born November 1865 – died September 23, 1932) was an important Black activist. She worked for women's right to vote (a suffragist) and for equal rights for all people (a civil rights activist). She was also a well-known person in Atlanta society.

Cora helped start the National Association of Colored Women (NACW). She was also an early member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Cora was the grandmother of the famous entertainer Lena Horne. She helped raise Lena when Lena was young.

Cora's Early Life and Family

Cora Catherine Calhoun was born in November 1865 in Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents were Atlanta Mary and Moses Calhoun. Cora was the older of two children. Her younger sister was named Lena.

Cora's father, Moses, had been a butler. Later, he started his own businesses. He opened a small grocery store and then a restaurant. He also owned a boardinghouse and some land. This helped his family become part of the Black middle class.

Cora and her sister went to Storrs Elementary School in Atlanta. Their family attended the First Congregational Church. Both of these places were connected to the American Missionary Association. Cora went to Atlanta University. She studied education and finished her studies in 1881. Cora was a socialite, meaning she was active in Atlanta's high society.

Marriage and Moving North

Cora Calhoun married Edwin Horne (1859–1939) on October 26, 1887. They got married in Birmingham, Alabama. Cora and Edwin had four children together: Errol Stanley, Edwin "Teddy" Fletcher, Frank Smith, and John Burke.

After they married, the family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee. By 1896, they were unhappy with the segregation in the South. Segregation meant that Black and white people were kept separate. So, they decided to move to New York City.

They first lived in an area of New York City called "Black Bohemia." Later, the family settled in Brooklyn, New York.

Fighting for Rights

Cora Calhoun Horne was a strong leader. In the 1890s, she helped create the National Association of Colored Women (NACW). This group worked to improve the lives of Black women and families.

Cora and her husband, Edwin, were also among the first members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP is a very important organization that fights for equal rights for Black people.

Cora was involved in many other groups too. These included the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), starting in 1913. She also worked with the Brooklyn League on Urban Conditions and the Big Brother and Big Sister Federation. She was even part of the National Republican Women's Auxiliary.

Raising Lena Horne

Cora Calhoun Horne was the grandmother of the famous singer and actress Lena Horne. Cora and her husband were the main caregivers for Lena when she was a child in the 1920s.

Cora made sure Lena learned about important causes. She took Lena to NAACP meetings when Lena was only two years old. Cora wanted Lena to understand the fight for civil rights and to care about making the world a better place.