Mary Mossell Griffin facts for kids

Mary Mossell Griffin (born around 1885, lived until at least 1963) was an amazing American writer. She was also a leader in women's clubs and worked hard for women's right to vote. She lived in Philadelphia.

Early Life and Family

Mary was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her nickname was "Mazie." She was the older daughter of Dr. Nathan Francis Mossell and Gertrude Bustill Mossell. Her mother was a writer and newspaper editor.

Mary came from a very smart and accomplished family. Her father, Dr. Nathan Francis Mossell, was the first African-American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He was a well-known doctor in Philadelphia.

Her uncle, Aaron Albert Mossell II, was the first African-American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. Mary's cousin, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, was the first African-American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. She also studied at the University of Pennsylvania. Another famous cousin was the singer and activist Paul Robeson. Her grandfather, Charles Hicks Bustill, was an important leader who worked to end slavery in Philadelphia.

Her Career and Activism

Mary Campbell Mossell taught kindergarten in Darby, Pennsylvania, from 1907 to 1908. She wrote for several newspapers, including the Philadelphia Courant and the Philadelphia Tribune.

She was a leader in many groups. She was president of the Harriet Tubman Association and the Sojourner Truth Suffrage League. She also started the Phillis Wheatley Literary Society. In 1915, she wrote a book called Afro American Men and Women who Count.

In 1927 and 1928, Mary led a big study about black women who worked for wages. She also helped create a summer camp in New Jersey for children from Philadelphia, working with Anna J. Cooper.

Working for Women's Rights

Mary Mossell Griffin was a key leader in the women's right to vote movement. In the 1910s, she led the suffrage department for the Northeastern Federation of Women's Clubs. Suffrage means the right to vote.

In the 1920s, she led the legal department of the National Association of Colored Women. In this role, she worked hard to pass a law against lynching in Pennsylvania. Lynching was a terrible act of violence.

Community Leadership

Mary was also active in politics. In 1924, she was president of the Northeast Republican Women's Alliance. In 1940, she was chosen to lead a project to build a monument for Phillis Wheatley. Phillis Wheatley was an important early African-American poet. The monument was planned for Wheatley's grave in Boston.

Mary also cared about local issues in Philadelphia. In 1934, she led a successful effort to get black clerks hired at a local market. In 1941, she supported parents who were upset about an overcrowded school that needed repairs. In 1936, Mary Mossell Griffin even ran for a position on Philadelphia's 7th Ward executive committee.

Personal Life

In 1909, Mary C. Mossell married Joshua R. Griffin Jr. He was a medical doctor from Richmond, Virginia. They had one child named Francis Raleigh Griffin. Mary became a widow when Dr. Griffin passed away in 1931. She was still alive when her younger sister died in January 1963.