Estelle Hall Young facts for kids

Estelle Hall Young (1884-1938) was an important leader in the fight for voting rights for African-American women. She lived in Baltimore, Maryland, and started the Colored Women's Suffrage Club. She worked very hard to help Black people gain the right to vote.

Early Life and Education

Estelle Hall was born in Georgia in 1884. She went to college to become a teacher. She studied at Spelman College and Atlanta University. At Spelman, she even studied with the famous writer and activist W.E.B. DuBois.

She taught school in Atlanta before moving to Baltimore in 1905. In Baltimore, she married Dr. Howard E. Young. He was the first Black person to own and run a pharmacy in the city. They had three children together. Their daughter, N. Louise Young, later became the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine in Maryland.

Fighting for Voting Rights

Estelle Hall Young was a strong voice for voting rights.

Starting the Suffrage Club

In 1915, Young started the Colored Women's Suffrage Club in West Baltimore. She became its first president. This group was also known as the Progressive Suffrage Club. At first, they met in people's homes. But soon, so many women wanted to join that they moved their meetings to the Colored Y.W.C.A. on Druid Hill Avenue.

After the 19th Amendment

In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed. This amendment gave women the right to vote. Even after this, some lawmakers tried to stop Black people from voting. Young worked hard to make sure Black women in Maryland could use their new right.

She kept holding classes at the Y.W.C.A. to teach new voters how to register and cast their ballots. She also helped start new chapters of the club, like one in Montgomery County. She led weekly meetings to help women sign up to vote. She even worked with local churches, asking them to talk about voter registration for five minutes at the start of Sunday services. Her efforts made a big difference!

Unlike many white women who stopped their civil rights work after the 19th Amendment passed, Young and her community kept fighting for equal rights.

Challenging Segregation

In 1913, Young and her husband bravely challenged unfair housing laws in Baltimore. They bought a house in a neighborhood that was mostly white. They hoped the Black community would help them pay the fines they expected from the city's segregation laws. When they didn't get enough financial support, they rented the house to a white family instead.

The DuBois Circle

Young was also an active member of the DuBois Circle in Baltimore. This was a group of important Black women who met to discuss Black literature and history. They strongly supported women's right to vote. Since Young had studied with W.E.B. DuBois in college, she arranged for him to visit the Circle and speak to the members.

In 1918, Young was asked to speak at the Sharp Street Methodist Episcopal Church for a Women's Day event.

Political Work

In the 1920s and 1930s, Young was active in the Republican party. She spoke to her senators and urged them to support laws against lynching, which was a terrible form of racial violence.

In the 1930s, the Maryland State Conference of Branches of the NAACP gave Young an award for her important work.

Death and Legacy

Estelle Hall Young passed away in August 1938 in Baltimore. She is buried at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, along with her husband and daughter. Her work helped many African Americans gain their voting rights and inspired others to fight for equality.

See also

• African-American women's suffrage movement
• Black suffrage in the United States
• History of African Americans in Baltimore
• Housing segregation in the United States

References