Julia Evangeline Brooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julia Evangeline Brooks
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| Born | June 1882 |
| Died | November 24, 1948 |
| Occupation | incorporator of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; Assistant principal and dean of girls at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. |
| Parent(s) | Walter Henderson Brooks and Eva Holmes Brooks |
Julia Evangeline Brooks (June 1882 – November 24, 1948) was a very important person in starting Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. This was the first sorority created by African-American women. Sororities are like clubs for college women. This group has helped people for almost 100 years.
Julia Brooks earned her college degrees from Howard University and Columbia University. She spent most of her life teaching. She worked at the famous Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. There, she was an assistant principal and also the dean of girls. These were big leadership jobs for a woman during her time. Julia Brooks inspired many students over the years.
Julia Brooks' Early Life
Julia Brooks was one of ten children. She was born to Walter Henderson Brooks and Eva Holmes Brooks in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father, Walter Henderson Brooks, was enslaved as a child. But he worked hard to get an education. He earned degrees from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Later, he became a pastor at a church in Washington, D.C.
Julia grew up and went to public schools in Washington, D.C.. She attended Sumner Magruder Elementary School. Then she went to M Street High School. This high school was for African American students in Washington. It was later named Dunbar High School. The school had excellent teachers and high standards. It attracted the best students from many cities.
After high school, Julia Brooks went to Miner Normal School. This school trained people to become teachers. She taught primary school for a few years. Then, Julia went to Howard University for more education. Howard University was one of the best historically black colleges in the country. At that time, very few African Americans went to college.
Starting Alpha Kappa Alpha
Julia Brooks was one of the first people to support making Alpha Kappa Alpha an official organization. This would help the sorority grow in the future. So, on January 29, 1913, Julia Brooks and five other women officially started Alpha Kappa Alpha. These women were Nellie Quander, Norma Boyd, Nellie Pratt Russell, Minnie B. Smith, and Ethel Jones Mowbray.
Julia Brooks and the other founders were named in the sorority's official paperwork. After the sorority became official, Julia served as its treasurer. She managed the money for the leaders until 1923.
Career and Later Life
Julia Brooks earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1916. This meant she could teach at the high school level. She taught Spanish and English for six years. She taught at the well-known Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. During her summer breaks, Julia continued her studies at Columbia University in New York City. She earned her Master of Arts degree in 1928.
Julia Brooks dedicated her life to education. In 1922, she was promoted to assistant principal at Dunbar High School. This was a very important job for any woman at that time. It made her a respected leader in the Washington D.C. school system. Julia Brooks stayed in this role for 26 years, for the rest of her life. She was also named the Dean of Girls. Teachers in Washington D.C. were paid the same, no matter their race. This helped the city attract many amazing teachers.
Julia Brooks also helped her family. She helped six of her nieces and nephews go to college. She supported them, took them to special events, and helped them with schoolwork. She also helped them financially.
Julia Brooks was a founding member of the Xi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. This chapter was started in Washington, D.C. in 1923. Julia Brooks wrote an early history of the sorority. She shared this history at a big sorority meeting in Baltimore, Maryland in 1923. She also gave a lecture about the sorority's history in 1924. Julia Brooks passed away on November 24, 1948.
