Detroit Study Club facts for kids

The Detroit Study Club is a special group of Black women in Detroit, Michigan. It started in 1898. These women wanted to learn more about books and important social issues. They also worked to make their community better. The club was one of many Black women's clubs that began around that time. In 2018, the Detroit Study Club celebrated 120 years of helping and learning.

How the Club Started

The Detroit Study Club began on March 2, 1898. Gabrielle Pelham and five friends met at her home. Their names were Fannie Anderson, Sarah Warsaw, J. Pauline Smith, Mrs. Wil Anderson, and Mrs. Tomlison. They met to talk about books, culture, and social topics. Pauline Smith was the club's first president.

At first, they called themselves the Browning Study Club. They focused on the writings of a famous British poet, Robert Browning. His wife was also a poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The club's motto came from one of Browning's poems. It said, "Let man contend to the uttermost for his life’s set prize."

After five years, the group decided to study more than just Browning. They started learning about other writers, art, religion, and history. In 1904, they changed their name to the Detroit Study Club. But they promised to still have one meeting each year about Robert Browning. The Detroit Study Club was part of a bigger movement. This was the Black Women's Club Movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Helping the Community

The club members cared deeply about the education of Black children. They also wanted to support elderly Black women. In 1897, Fannie Richards, a club member, helped start the Phillis Wheatley Home. This home was for older Black ladies in Detroit. Fannie Richards was a very important public school teacher. She was the first president of the Wheatley Home. It was a safe place for Black elders. For many years, the Detroit Study Club held a Christmas party for the people living there. They also gave money for gifts every year.

In 1917, the National Association of Colored Women started a big effort. They wanted to save Cedar Hill. This was the home of Frederick Douglass, a famous leader and writer. Clubs all over the country helped raise money. The women of the Detroit Study Club sold special spoons. This money helped buy and take care of the property. Saving Cedar Hill showed how much Black club women wanted to protect important Black history sites. This effort also showed how connected the Detroit Study Club was to other women's clubs. Today, Cedar Hill is a National Historic Landmark. The National Park Service takes care of it.

Important Members

Mrs. Sammuel H. Russell, sixth president of the Detroit Study Club

• Gabrielle (Lewis) Pelham was the founder of the Detroit Study Club. She was born in Adrian, Michigan. She was the first woman to earn a music degree from Adrian College. She was also the first person of color to hold a job in Michigan State's Music Teacher Association.
• Lillian Johnson was a writer and an activist for civil rights and women's rights. She was the eighth president of the Detroit Study Club from 1918 to 1920. Lillian wrote many of the club's materials. This included event programs, invitations, and speeches.
• Fannie Richards was a member of the Detroit Study Club. She was Detroit's first African American teacher. She worked hard to make sure all children could go to public schools together. She also helped start kindergarten classes in Detroit very early, in 1872. This made Detroit one of the first U.S. cities to have kindergartens. Fannie also co-founded the Phillis Wheatley Home for Aged Colored Ladies.
• Margaret (McCall) Thomas Ward helped keep the Detroit Study Club's history safe. She set up the club's archives at the Detroit Public Library. She was the first leader of the club's history committee. Her parents published two Black newspapers.
• The Honorable Geraldine Bledsoe Ford was a member of the Detroit Study Club. She was the first African American woman in the United States to be elected as a judge. Her mother, Mamie Geraldine Bledsoe, was also a member.
• The Honorable Chief Judge Denise Page Hood is a current member of the Detroit Study Club. President Bill Clinton appointed her as a federal judge in 1994. In 2016, Judge Hood became the chief judge for her court. She was the fourth African American to hold a chief judgeship in a federal court.

Awards and Recognition

On May 10, 1999, President Bill Clinton sent a letter to the Detroit Study Club. He congratulated them on their 100th anniversary. In April 2016, the Historical Society of Michigan honored the club. They gave them the Milestone Award. A plaque noted the club's important contributions to Michigan's growth.