Mittie Maude Lena Gordon facts for kids

Mittie Maude Lena Gordon was an important American activist. She believed in "black nationalism." This idea meant that Black people should have their own strong communities. They should also control their own future. She started a group called the Peace Movement of Ethiopia. This group worked to help Black Americans move to West Africa. They hoped this would help them escape unfair treatment and racism in the United States.

Mittie Gordon: An Activist for Change

Mittie Maude Lena Gordon was born in Webster Parish, Louisiana. Her birth date was August 2, 1889. She grew up seeing the challenges faced by Black people in America. This inspired her to work for change.

Early Life and Ideas

In 1929, Mittie Gordon attended a big meeting. It was a convention for the UNIA. This meeting took place in Jamaica. The UNIA was a group that also supported Black people having their own nations and power.

Her Big Idea: Moving to Africa

In December 1932, Mittie Gordon started her own movement in Chicago. She called it the Peace Movement of Ethiopia. Her main goal was to help African Americans move to Liberia. Liberia is a country in West Africa. She believed it would be better for Black Americans to build new lives there. She thought it would be cheaper to help them move than to provide welfare in America.

In 1933, her group sent a huge petition to President Roosevelt. A petition is a formal request signed by many people. This one had over 400,000 signatures! It asked the government to help Black Americans move to Africa. The petition was sent to the State Department. But it never moved forward from there.

Wartime Challenges

In the early 1940s, Mittie Gordon was watched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This was because she had connections with Japanese politicians. Japan was an enemy of the United States during World War II.

In October 1942, she was arrested. She was accused of working with the Japanese. She spent most of the war years in jail. This shows how difficult it was to be an activist during wartime.

Family Connections

Mittie Maude Lena Gordon passed away in 1961. She left behind a legacy of fighting for what she believed in.

She also had famous family members. Her nephew was a musician named John L. Nelson. Even more famously, her grandnephew was the legendary musician Prince. Prince was John L. Nelson's son.