Eloise Bibb Thompson facts for kids
Eloise Bibb Thompson (born June 26, 1878 – died January 8, 1928) was an American teacher, writer, and journalist. She wrote plays, poems, and newspaper articles. She was married to Noah Davis Thompson, who was also a journalist and activist.
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Early Life and Education
Eloise Alberta Veronica Bibb was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her parents were Catherine Adele Brian Bibb and Charles H. Bibb. Her father worked as a federal customs inspector.
Eloise trained to be a teacher at New Orleans University. She then studied at Oberlin Academy from 1899 to 1901. She graduated from Howard University in 1907. She loved learning and continued her studies throughout her life at places like Columbia University, University of Southern California, and New York University.
A Career in Writing and Teaching
Eloise Bibb started her career teaching school in New Orleans. Her first book of 26 poems was published in 1895 when she was just 17 years old.
From 1908 to 1911, she worked at the Social Settlement House connected to Howard University. A settlement house was a place that offered help and support to people in need, often in poor neighborhoods. The president of Howard University, Wilbur P. Thirkield, praised her work there, saying she put her "heart" and "life" into it.
Writing in Los Angeles
In 1911, Eloise moved to Los Angeles, California with her husband. There, she wrote for several newspapers and magazines. These included the Los Angeles Tribune, Morning Sun, Out West, and Tidings. She was also active in Catholic Women's Clubs in Los Angeles. She and her husband were part of a group of writers in Los Angeles called the "Ink Slingers."
Plays and Screenplays
Eloise Bibb Thompson wrote a screenplay called A Reply to the Clansman in 1915. This was her response to a very controversial film called The Birth of a Nation. That film showed African Americans in a negative way, and her screenplay aimed to tell a different, more truthful story.
She also wrote at least four plays:
- A Friend of Democracy (1920)
- Caught (1920)
- Africanus (1922) – This play was about the life of Marcus Garvey, an important leader who promoted Black pride and unity.
- Cooped Up (1924)
She worked with the National Ethiopian Art Theatre, Inc. in New York, which was a theater group focused on African American stories and performers.
Personal Life
Eloise Bibb married Noah Davis Thompson in 1911 in Chicago. In 1927, the couple moved from Los Angeles to New York because of her husband's work in publishing.
Sadly, Eloise Bibb Thompson died in New York in early 1928 from cancer. She was 49 years old. She had first sought treatment for cancer in Vienna in 1914.
