Esther Georgia Irving Cooper facts for kids

Esther Georgia Irving Cooper (born November 28, 1881 – died February 7, 1970) was an important leader in the fight for civil rights in Arlington, Virginia. She worked hard to make sure everyone had fair and equal opportunities, especially in education.

Cooper taught English, typing, and shorthand at the National Training School for Women and Girls. She also helped run business classes for adults in the Arlington County Public Schools. When she moved to Arlington, Virginia, she saw that the schools for Black students were not good enough. Because of this, she sent her own daughters to school in Washington D.C., just like many other parents did at that time.

Leading the Fight for Fairness

Esther Cooper was a key figure in the civil rights movement. She believed that all people, regardless of their race, should have the same rights and opportunities.

Starting the NAACP in Arlington

Cooper started the Arlington County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and was its first president. The NAACP is a group that works to end unfair treatment and make sure Black people have equal rights.

In 1942, she joined the main board of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP. This group worked to challenge unfair rules and practices in high schools in the county.

Winning Equal School Funding

Cooper's work led to a very important court case called Carter v. School Board of Arlington County. In this case, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that having separate high schools for Black and white students was against the law. The court ordered that the schools for Black students must get more money. It also said that Black teachers should be paid the same as white teachers. This was a big victory for equal rights in education.

Working for Community Change

Cooper was the NAACP branch president during the 1940s. She was also a member of the Southern Conference for Human Welfare, where she led the Arlington chapter.

She helped create the Jennie Dean Community Center Association. This group raised money to buy land for a recreation center that was open to Black people. As the secretary of the Butler Holmes Citizens Association, she helped people register to vote. She also worked to end "poll taxes," which were fees people had to pay to vote. These taxes often stopped Black people from voting. Cooper continued to work on political campaigns and at voting places until the 1964 presidential election.

About Her Life

Esther Cooper was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents, William Irving and Katherine Harris Irving, had been enslaved people. She moved to Virginia to work for the Forest Service as a stenographer, which is someone who takes notes using shorthand.

On September 10, 1913, she married George Posea Cooper. They had three daughters. One of their daughters, Esther Cooper Jackson, also became a civil rights activist. She helped start and lead the Southern Negro Youth Congress.