Mabel Byrd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mabel Janet Byrd
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| Born | July 3, 1895 Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, United States
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| Died | May 3, 1988 (aged 92) Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
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| Education | University of Oregon, 1917-1919 University of Washington, B.A., 1921 |
| Known for | Early civil rights activism |
| Spouse(s) | L. Symington Curtis |
| Children | Robert Byrd Curtis and Thomas Austin Curtis: Twin sons |
Mabel J. Byrd (July 3, 1895 – May 20, 1988) was a brave civil rights activist. She was the first African American student to enroll at the University of Oregon. Mabel Byrd spent her life fighting for fairness and equality for all people. She passed away in 1988 at the age of 92 in St. Louis, Missouri. Instead of a memorial service, she asked for donations to a scholarship fund. This showed her lifelong dedication to education.
Early Life and Education
Mabel Byrd was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, on July 3, 1895. Her father, Robert Byrd, was a bricklayer. He moved their family to Portland, Oregon when Mabel was young. At that time, African Americans faced many unfair rules in Oregon. For example, they were not allowed to own homes or even vote. Mabel was the only African American student in her high school in Portland.
In 1917, Mabel made history. She became the first African American to enroll at the University of Oregon. She chose to study economics. When she moved to Eugene for college, she found that African Americans were still treated unfairly. Even though she could attend the university, school rules stopped her from living in the campus dorms because of her race. She also could not join a sorority.
While studying, Mabel worked as a helper in the home of a history professor, Joseph Schafer. She also lived there. After two years at the University of Oregon, she transferred. In 1919, she moved to the University of Washington. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts in 1921.
Early Career and Activism
After graduating in 1921, Mabel Byrd returned to Oregon. She became an English teacher at Portland's segregated Young Women's Christian Association. In her free time, she was the vice president of the local NAACP chapter. The NAACP is a group that works for the rights of African Americans.
In 1923, a racist group called the KKK was very active in Eugene. But this did not stop Mabel. She invited a famous civil rights leader, W.E.B. Du Bois, to speak at the University of Oregon. This meeting led to a close friendship between Mabel and Du Bois.
In the mid-1920s, Mabel moved to New York City. This was during the exciting time of the Harlem Renaissance. She trained with the city's YWCA. She also helped organize events for W.E.B. Du Bois. She even wrote for his NAACP magazine, The Crisis. In 1926, Mabel helped create an alumni chapter for the University of Oregon in New York City. This group later became the New York Ducks chapter of the UO Alumni Association.
In 1927, Mabel received a special scholarship from the Quakers. This allowed her to study housing in England. It was her first time traveling outside the United States. Many famous people, including poets Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes, attended a farewell tea for her. Langston Hughes even read poetry to her.
While in Europe, Mabel worked for the International Labour Organization (ILO). This group was connected to the League of Nations. She researched the lives of African workers in certain regions. Her work led her to speak at a big meeting in 1929. It was the Sixth Congress of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
In 1933, Mabel was praised for her work in the Census department. A government official called her "one of the finest and most efficient economists in the government."
Fighting for Civil Rights
Mabel Byrd was a very important early activist in the civil rights movement. She worked closely with national leaders like W. E. B. Du Bois.
In 1929, Mabel started working as a research assistant at Fisk University. She studied the quality of education for African Americans in the South. Later, she worked for an economist at the University of Chicago. She was hired to watch for unfair treatment of African American workers. This was during a time when new minimum wage laws were being put in place.
On February 21, 1934, Mabel and her friends faced discrimination. They were attending a hearing in the Senate. When they tried to eat at the Senate restaurant, a waitress told them, "If that woman is colored, she can't eat in here." Police then escorted them out. A senator claimed Mabel was not barred because of her race, but because there were no tables. Mabel said there were many empty tables. Later, the senator admitted that Mabel had been barred because of her race.
Mabel Byrd was the first African American woman to work for the National Recovery Administration (NRA). She was in charge of making sure new rules about equal pay and fair working conditions were followed. Some newspapers wrote about her. One called her a "shrewd economist." Another called her an "efficient, able negro woman."
After only a few months, Mabel was asked to leave her job at the NRA. They felt it would not be safe for an African American woman to work in the South. This inspired her to join the Joint Committee for National Recovery (JCNR). This committee investigated hate crimes and unsafe working conditions. The JCNR then told Congress that people were not being treated equally, despite government promises.
In the mid-1920s, Mabel Byrd became a respected figure in the African American community. She was still involved with New York's YWCA. She also became the president of the Alpha Beta Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
In 1929, Mabel returned to America. She worked at Fisk University in the sociology department. She almost lost her job for speaking out against discrimination at the university. After working there and then with the NRA, she later became the executive director of St. Louis' People's Art Center. However, she resigned when she was told to be quiet about racist actions by the center's funders.
Mabel Byrd married L.S. Curtis in the mid-1930s. She lived a long life full of challenges and successes. She passed away on May 20, 1988, at 92 years old.
