Fannie Jackson Coppin Club facts for kids
The Fannie Jackson Coppin Club was a special group for African American women in Alameda County, California. These women were very active in politics and their community. The club helped people learn about voting, especially before and after 1911. That year, a law called Proposition 4 was passed, giving women in California the right to vote. Many club members were also important leaders in the movement for women's right to vote in California.
Contents
History of the Fannie Jackson Coppin Club
The Fannie Jackson Coppin Club started in Oakland in June 1899. It was formed by women from the Beth Eden Baptist Church. This was the first club for African American women in Oakland.
How the Club Started
The club was first called the Cosmos Club. African American women in Oakland were inspired to start it after a visit from Victoria Earl Matthews in 1898. She told them about the great work women's clubs were doing across the country. The club was part of a bigger effort by African American women in California. They wanted to improve their communities and families. They also wanted to challenge unfair ideas about African American people.
Changing the Name and Goals
The club changed its name after Fanny Jackson Coppin herself visited. She inspired the group to add helping others (philanthropy) and learning (literary education) to their goals. Coppin State University is named after Fanny Jackson Coppin.
Besides helping others, the club wanted to create music and reading programs. This encouraged members to get involved in these areas. Their first act of kindness was donating $100 to the Tuskegee Institute. This money helped a young boy stay in school for a year.
Club Mottos and Achievements
The club's main goal was to study culture and improve the community. Their state motto was "Deeds Not Words." They also used the mottos "Lifting as We Climb" and "Not failure, but low aim is a crime."
In 1913, the club joined the Northern Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. Later, in 1918, club members opened the Northern Federation Home and Day Nursery. This place served as an orphanage and cared for African American children aged five to fourteen.
The club also supported African American success in other ways. In March 1919, they hosted the famous singer Roland Hayes. He performed for his first California audience there. During its most active years, the club was like a "mother club" for other Black women's clubs in California. A journalist and historian named Delilah Beasley often wrote about the club's activities in her popular newspaper column.
Home for the Aged and Infirm Colored People
One important project the club helped create was the Home for the Aged and Infirm Colored People in Oakland. This home was built in the 19th century. It was the first organization in California to care for elderly African Americans.
Club Members
Many important women from Oakland were members of the Fannie Jackson Coppin Club. These included leaders in the women's right to vote movement and other club women. Some notable members were Melba Stafford, Willa Henry, Emma Scott, and Hettie B. Tilghman.
Legacy of the Club
Club members created many different organizations. These groups aimed to make life better for African Americans in the East Bay area.
Creating New Organizations
In 1920, Hettie B. Tilghman, Willa Henry, Melba Stafford, and Delilah Beasley worked together to create the Linden Center Young Women's Christian Association. The Linden Center YWCA offered job training and cultural programs. Even though new groups grew from the Fannie Jackson Coppin Club, the club itself stayed active. It continued its work well into the 1960s.
Other Groups Club Members Joined
Besides the YWCA, members of the Fannie Jackson Coppin Club also joined many other social and women’s clubs. These groups worked to support women's right to vote or to help African American women. Some of these organizations included:
- The California Civic League
- The Alameda County League of Colored Women Voters
- The Colored American Equal Suffrage League
- The California State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs
- The Alameda County Central Committee of the Republican Party
- The N.A.A.C.P.
- The Art Department of the California Federation of Colored Women's Clubs
See also
- Fanny Jackson Coppin
- List of California suffragists
- Timeline of the women's suffrage movement in California
- Women's suffrage in California
