Josephine Turpin Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josephine Turpin Washington
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Portrait published in The Afro-American Press and Its Editors, 1891
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| Born |
Josephine Turpin
July 31, 1861 |
| Died | March 17, 1949 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | Educator and writer |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. Samuel Somerville Hawkins Washington |
Josephine Turpin Washington (born July 31, 1861 – died March 17, 1949) was an important African-American writer and teacher. She spent many years as an educator and often wrote for magazines and newspapers. Her articles usually focused on issues of fairness and equality for African Americans in the United States. Josephine Turpin Washington was also a relative of Thomas Jefferson.
Early Life and Education
Josephine Turpin was born in Goochland County, Virginia, on July 31, 1861. Her parents were Augustus A. Turpin and Maria V. Crump. She first learned at home and then attended public schools in Goochland, Virginia.
Later, her family moved to Richmond, Virginia. There, she went to the Richmond Institute, which is now known as the Richmond Theological Seminary. She graduated from Howard University in 1886. During her summer breaks, she worked for Frederick Douglass, who was a famous leader and writer. He was working in District of Columbia at the time.
After graduating, Josephine taught math at Howard University. In 1888, she married Dr. Samuel Somerville Hawkins Washington. After their marriage, she moved to Birmingham, Alabama.
A Dedicated Educator
Throughout her career, Josephine Turpin Washington taught at several universities. She worked at Selma University, Tuskegee Institute, Alabama State University, and Wilberforce University. Her husband was the school doctor at Tuskegee Institute.
She retired in 1934 after working for twenty years as the dean of women at Wilberforce University. As a dean, she helped guide and support the female students.
A Powerful Writer
Josephine Turpin Washington started writing when she was a teenager. Her first article, "A Talk about Church Fairs," was printed in the Virginia Star. In this piece, she questioned the selling of wine at church fundraising events.
She wrote many essays, like "Higher Education for Women," which appeared in the People's Advocate. She also wrote introductions for important books such as Women of Distinction (1893) by Lawson A. Scruggs and Homespun Heroines and Other Women of Distinction (1926) by Hallie Quinn Brown.
Washington wrote about many topics important to African Americans. These included job and education chances, how to raise children, and challenges faced by women and men. She supported "progressive women" who wanted both a successful career and a family life.
As the leader of the Executive Board of the Alabama State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, she wrote their special song, Mother Alabama. She sent many articles to be printed in newspapers and magazines. Some of these included the Christian Recorder, the New York Freeman, the A. M. E. Review, The Colored American Magazine, and the New York Globe.
In 1904, Washington wrote for the Colored American Magazine about a meeting of the State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. She reported on how the delegates focused on black womanhood, good behavior, and setting up a place for young people who needed help. She also wrote about the widespread effects of unfair treatment and racial prejudice in the city. Washington noticed unfairness everywhere. For example, she saw playgrounds only for white children. Black children "look on longingly, but dare not touch the sacred structure."
Many of her articles are collected in a book called The Collected Essays of Josephine J. Turpin Washington: A Black Reformer in the Post-Reconstruction South (2019) by Rita Dandridge.
Later Years
Josephine Turpin Washington passed away at the age of eighty-seven. She died at her daughter's home in Cleveland, Ohio.
