Lucille Skaggs Edwards facts for kids

Lucille Boynton Skaggs Edwards (born July 23, 1875 – died September 14, 1972) was an important journalist in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1906, Lucille Edwards did something amazing. She published a magazine called The Women's Aurora. This made her the first Black woman to publish a magazine in Nebraska. She also worked as a political organizer and a clerk in the district court.

Lucille's Life Story

Lucille was born in July 1875 in Washington, D.C. She married August C. Edwards in 1897. Before getting married, she taught English. She likely taught in Knoxville, Tennessee.

She also lived in Alabama and Des Moines, Iowa. Later, in the early 1900s, she moved to Omaha. Lucille and August had several children: Toni, Gerald, Alie, and Marjorie. August was a dentist. He was also president of the Negro Medical Society of Nebraska for a time.

Lucille and August divorced in June 1926. Their daughter, Toni, lived to be over 100 years old. Toni worked in biochemistry. She ran the chemical lab at the University of California Berkeley. She even worked with famous scientists like Melvin Calvin.

Lucille Skaggs Edwards passed away on September 14, 1972. She died in Brooklyn, New York City. She is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Queens.

Lucille's Work and Impact

In 1906, Lucille Edwards published The Women's Aurora. This magazine was a big step. It made her the first Black woman to publish a magazine in Nebraska. She also worked as a stenographer. This means she took notes and typed for the Clerk of the District Court, Frank McGrath.

She kept writing articles for Omaha newspapers. She often wrote about education and family life. In 1917, Edwards wrote an article for John Albert Williams' Monitor. It was called "Our Women and Children." In it, she said, "Never has there been such a demand for trained men and women."

Lucille was active in politics for many years. For the first half of her life, she was involved with the Republican party. She was also very active in the Catholic Church. In 1918, Lucille and Lula Lewis started a Black Catholic Missionary society. This group grew and became Saint Benedict the Moor Church. Father Francis Cassilly, a professor at Creighton University, also joined their efforts.

Her political party changed in the 1930s. By then, she supported the Democratic party. In 1931, she became the head of the welfare board for Black people in Omaha. This happened during the time of Democratic Mayor Richard Lee Metcalfe. She supported Mayor Metcalfe in the 1933 election.

In 1934, she served as a secretary in an organization. This group worked to get Black people in North Omaha to support the Democratic party. She also helped organize support for Terry Carpenter in 1936. He was running to be a US Senator. Lucille was also on the executive board of the women's division of the Douglas County Democratic Committee.