Modjeska Monteith Simkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Modjeska Monteith Simkins
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| Born | December 5, 1899 |
| Died | April 5, 1992 (aged 92) Columbia, South Carolina
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| Resting place | Palmetto Cemetery Columbia, South Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Benedict College |
| Occupation | Public health |
| Known for | Civil rights |
| Spouse(s) | Andrew Whitfield Simkins |
| Parent(s) | Henry Clarence Montieth Rachel Evelyn Hull |
Modjeska Monteith Simkins (December 5, 1899 – April 5, 1992) was a very important leader in South Carolina. She worked hard to improve public health and social fairness for African Americans. She was also a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Modjeska Monteith was born on December 5, 1899, in Columbia, South Carolina. Her father, Henry Clarence Montieth, was a brick mason. Her mother was Rachel Evelyn Hall. Modjeska grew up on a farm near Columbia.
She went to elementary school and high school. Later, she attended Benedict College, earning a bachelor of arts degree in 1921. That same year, she started teaching at Booker T. Washington High School. In December 1929, she married Andrew Whitfield Simkins. Because public schools in Columbia did not allow married women to teach, she had to leave her job.
Improving Public Health
In 1931, Simkins began working in public health. She became the Director of Negro Work for the South Carolina Tuberculosis Association. This made her the only full-time, statewide African-American public health worker.
Before the 1930s, unfair treatment and poverty in the South led to many deaths among African Americans. Diseases like tuberculosis and pellagra were common. Modjeska Simkins worked with important groups, both white and African-American. She also raised money to help. Her efforts greatly improved the health of African Americans in South Carolina.
Leading the Civil Rights Movement
In 1942, Simkins lost her job with the Tuberculosis Association. This was partly because she was becoming more involved with the NAACP. The NAACP is a group that works for equal rights.
Joining the NAACP
When the South Carolina NAACP was formed in 1939, Simkins was already a leader. She was on the executive board of the local Columbia NAACP branch. She also led its program committee.
Simkins helped start the state conference of the NAACP. She was elected to its first executive board. She also became the first chair of the state programs committee. In 1941, she was elected Secretary of the state conference. She was the only woman to hold an officer position at that time.
Fighting for Equal Schools
As Secretary from 1941 to 1957, Modjeska Simkins worked for racial equality. From 1943 to 1945, she helped teachers get fair pay. She supported lawsuits in Sumter and Columbia, South Carolina. These lawsuits aimed to make teacher salaries equal for all.
One of her most important contributions was in 1950. She worked on the federal court case of Briggs v. Elliott in South Carolina. She teamed up with Reverend Joseph DeLaine. He was the president of the Clarendon County, South Carolina NAACP. Together, they helped write the statement for the school lawsuit. This lawsuit asked for equal schools for Black and white students in Clarendon County.
The Clarendon County case later became part of a bigger case. This was Brown v. Board of Education in Topeka in 1954. This Supreme Court case directly challenged the idea of "separate but equal" schools. It helped end segregation in schools.
Facing Challenges
Because of her strong activism, Modjeska Simkins and her home sometimes faced danger. An unknown person shot at her house when she was active with the NAACP.
In the late 1950s, some people wrongly accused Simkins of being a communist. Some of her friends were members of the American Communist Party. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the House Un-American Activities Committee accused her of working against the government. These accusations against civil rights activists became stronger after the Brown decision.
In 1957, the Nominations Committee of the South Carolina NAACP did not nominate Simkins for secretary. This was the first time in sixteen years she was not nominated. Some NAACP officials thought her connections to certain groups were the reason.
Despite this, she continued her work for many years. She was active in the Southern Conference Educational Fund (SCEF). This was an interracial civil rights organization that worked across the South. She worked with leaders like James Dombrowski and Carl and Anne Braden.
A Lasting Impact
Modjeska Simkins was able to hold leadership roles that were often not open to women in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1981, many civil rights groups honored her. They created a fund in her name to help activists working for people who are not as lucky.
After her death on April 5, 1992, hundreds of people attended a memorial service. Judge Matthew J. Perry said about her:
She probably will be remembered as a woman who challenged everyone. She challenged the white political leadership of the state to do what was fair and equitable among all people and she challenged black citizens to stand up and demand their rightful place in the state and the nation.
Death and Legacy
Modjeska Simkins passed away in Columbia, South Carolina, on April 5, 1992. She was buried at Palmetto Cemetery in Columbia. Her portrait hangs in the South Carolina State House, honoring her important work.
