Grace Shimm Cummings facts for kids
Grace Shimm Cummings (1865–1910) was an American teacher who worked to improve education. She was known for her dedication to teaching and her contributions to the community.
Early Life and Education
Grace Ella Shimm was born in Pennsylvania. Her father, William Y. Shimm, was a barber. Her mother, Sarah A. Thomas Shimm, was a teacher and writer. Grace had one younger sister named Erminie, who was often called Minnie.
Grace was a very bright student. In 1884, she graduated from Miner Normal School. She was the best student in her class, which is called the valedictorian. This honor showed how hard she worked and how well she learned.
Teaching Career and Public Speaking
Both Grace and her sister Erminie became teachers. They taught in Washington, D.C. during a time when schools were "segregated." This meant that Black students and white students went to separate schools. Grace taught in schools for Black children.
Besides teaching, Grace was also a talented musician. She played the organ at church events. She also enjoyed writing and had some of her poetry published.
In 1902, Grace spoke at an important event in Atlanta. It was called the Negro Young People's Christian and Educational Congress. Her speech was titled "The Public School Teacher and the Religious Forces." In her speech, she shared her strong belief that being a teacher was a very important job. She said, "The teacher's calling is no light vocation," meaning it was a serious and important role. Later that same year, she stopped teaching third grade to get married.
Family Life and Legacy
In 1902, Grace E. Shimm married Charles Gilmore Cummings. He was a well-known preacher. Charles's sister, Ida R. Cummings, was also an educator. Grace and Charles had one daughter who survived, named Joyce Ethel Cummings, born in 1903.
Grace E. Shimm Cummings passed away in 1910 when she was 45 years old. Two years later, her husband Charles married again. His second wife was Rosa Bearden, who was the grandmother of a famous artist named Romare Bearden.
Grace Shimm Cummings's personal items, like her scrapbook and an autograph book, are kept in a special collection. These items are at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Charlene Hodges Byrd, who was also a teacher, was Grace's granddaughter. She helped preserve these important papers.
