Faith Rich facts for kids

Faith Rich (born Faith Baldwin) (1909–1990) was a dedicated community leader and educator. She strongly supported the Civil Rights Movement. Born in Vermont in 1909, she earned a special degree in Classics from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania in 1934. She moved to Chicago in the mid-1930s with her husband, Theodore Rich, and began her important work helping others.

Working for Change: NAACP and Community

Faith Rich became involved with many groups that worked to improve communities in Chicago. She focused on the West Side neighborhood of North Lawndale. In 1945, she joined the Westside Chicago Branch of the NAACP. The NAACP is a group that works for equal rights for African Americans. She stayed with the NAACP until she died in 1990.

Improving Education for All Students

As the Education Chairman for the NAACP, Faith Rich worked hard to end segregation in Chicago Public Schools. Segregation meant that Black and White students were forced to go to separate schools, which was unfair. She also helped start a new reading program for the city. She served on the NAACP Textbook Committee. Here, she helped change school textbooks to remove unfair ideas. She made sure the books showed the important contributions of African Americans, Catholics, Jews, and other groups.

Other Community Roles

Besides her work with the NAACP, Faith Rich was active in many other ways. She was a member of the Illinois Parent Teacher Association (PTA). She also served on the George W. Collins High School’s Local School Council (LSC). This council helps make decisions for the school. She was also part of the 15th Place Block Club, which helped neighbors work together. Faith Rich cared about how city changes could affect people's lives and opportunities.

Loglan: A Logical Language

Faith Rich was also interested in a special artificial language called Loglan. Dr. James Cooke Brown first introduced Loglan in 1955. It was designed to be a very logical language. Faith Rich worked for The Loglan Institute as the "Cerpeu of La Purmao Diigru." This title means she was the Chairperson of the Word Creation Committee. She was very interested in how language works and how it relates to education.

Later Life and Legacy

Throughout her adult life, Faith Rich worked as a temporary office worker. This job gave her the freedom to set her own schedule. She also earned a teaching certificate. However, she preferred to work as a substitute teacher or tutor for the same reason. She continued her important work with the NAACP, the George W. Collins Local School Council, and the 15th Place Block Club until the end of her life. Faith Rich passed away on March 12, 1990.

Archival Collection

After her death, Faith Rich's important papers were collected. These papers are now available at the Chicago Public Library Special Collections. You can find them at the Harold Washington Library Center. These papers help people learn more about her life and her work.