Mary Eleanora McCoy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Eleanora McCoy
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| Born |
Mary Eleanora Delaney
January 26, 1846 |
| Died | November 17, 1923 (aged 77) |
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Mary Eleanora McCoy (born Delaney; January 26, 1846 – November 17, 1923) was an important American woman who helped many people. She was known for her kindness, for organizing groups, and for being a leader in women's clubs. She famously started the Michigan State Association of Colored Women.
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Mary McCoy's Early Life
Mary McCoy was born in 1846 in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. She was born in a special place called an Underground Railroad station. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom. Mary married twice in her life. Her second husband was Elijah McCoy, a famous inventor. People sometimes say "the real McCoy" to mean something is genuine, and this phrase is linked to her husband's inventions.
Leading Women's Clubs and Helping Others
Mary and Elijah McCoy made their home in Detroit in the early 1880s. Mary became very active in what were called "clubwoman" groups. These were groups of women who came together to work for social change and help their communities.
She was a member of several important organizations, including:
- The Twentieth Century Club of Detroit
- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
- The Lydian Association of Detroit
- The Willing Workers
With another leader named Lucy Thurman, Mary McCoy helped create the Michigan State Association of Colored Women. This group was a part of the larger National Association of Colored Women's Clubs (NACW).
Mary's Philanthropy: Giving Back
Mary McCoy was also known for her philanthropy, which means she generously gave money and time to help others. She helped set up the Sojourner Truth Memorial Association of Michigan. This organization provided scholarships for children of former enslaved people to attend the University of Michigan. Mary served as the vice president of this group.
She also used her own money to fund the McCoy Home for Colored Children. In addition, she started the Phyllis Wheatley Home for Aged Colored Women in Detroit. She served as the president of this home, which provided a safe place for older women.
Fighting for Women's Voting Rights
In the early 1900s, Mary McCoy became a strong supporter of women's suffrage. This was the movement to gain the right for women to vote. She was a member of the Independent Women Voters. She also spoke out for voting rights through her work with the NACW.
Mary McCoy even marched in a big event called the 1913 Woman Suffrage Parade in Washington D.C. This was a huge march where many women gathered to demand the right to vote. In 1920, she attended the National American Woman Suffrage Association's Victory Convention in Chicago. This convention celebrated the passing of the 19th Amendment, which finally gave women the right to vote across the United States.
Later Life and Legacy
Mary McCoy passed away on November 17, 1923, in Detroit. Her important work and dedication to helping others were recognized many years later. In 2012, she was honored by being inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. In 2016, a post office building in Detroit was named the Mary E. McCoy Post Office Building in her honor.
