Nellie Griswold Francis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nellie Griswold Francis
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Francis c. 1921
|
|
| Born |
Nellie Griswold
November 7, 1874 |
| Died | December 13, 1969 (aged 95) Nashville, Tennessee
|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Suffragist, activist |
Nellie F. Griswold Francis (born November 7, 1874 – died December 13, 1969) was an important African-American leader. She fought for women's right to vote and for civil rights.
Nellie Francis started the Everywoman Suffrage Club. This group helped women in Minnesota win the right to vote. She and her husband, William T. Francis, faced threats when they moved into a white neighborhood. Later, she moved to Monrovia, Liberia with her husband. He was appointed a U.S. diplomat there. Nellie Francis is honored at the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Memorial for her work.
Contents
Nellie's Early Life
Nellie Griswold Francis was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on November 7, 1874. Her parents were Maggie Seay and Thomas Garrison Griswold. She had a sister named Lula. Her aunt, Juno Frankie Pierce, was also a well-known activist.
Nellie went to Knowles Street School in Nashville. This was the first school there to have African-American teachers. In 1883, her family moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota. She was the only African American student in her high school graduating class in 1891. She gave a powerful speech at her graduation. It was called "The Race Problem" and won her second place for public speaking.
Nellie was offered scholarships for college and drama school. But she chose to study stenography, which is like shorthand. She started working as a stenographer in 1891. She worked for the Great Northern Railway and later for Western Publishing Company.
Besides her work, Nellie loved to sing and act. She often used her talents to support her causes. For example, in 1892, she acted as a lawyer in a mock trial. This event promoted women's rights. She also wrote and produced a play called "Magic Mirrors."
Nellie met her husband, William T. Francis, while they both worked for a railway company. They got married in 1893.
Fighting for Women's Rights and Equality
In 1914, Nellie Francis left her job. She wanted to spend all her time working for her community. She focused on women's right to vote, called suffrage. She also fought against unfair treatment and violence based on race.
Nellie was part of national civil rights groups. She met important leaders like W. E. B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington's wife. She also met Warren G. Harding when he was President.
She was very active in her church and other organizations. She was president of the Minnesota State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. She also served on the board of the local NAACP chapter. She even taught shorthand classes at her home. This was because African Americans could not attend many business schools then.
Nellie Francis is most famous for starting an African-American suffrage group. After World War I, many African Americans moved from the South to the North. In 1918, Nellie led her church to send a message to the President.
That year, white suffragists in Minnesota considered a plan. It would give women the right to vote but exclude black women. Nellie Francis said she would have been very disappointed if they had agreed to this. The fight for women's vote in Minnesota was won in 1919. Nellie's group then worked for social progress for black women.
A few years later, Nellie and William Francis bought a home in a white neighborhood in St. Paul. They faced terrible racist attacks from the Ku Klux Klan. First, a local group offered to buy their house. When the Francises refused, they received threats. The Ku Klux Klan marched with burning flares. They also sent threatening letters and made phone calls. The Klan burned a cross on their lawn twice. This was usually a final warning. But the Francises moved into their home and stayed there. They lived there until they moved to Liberia.
Life in Liberia
William T. Francis was a very successful lawyer. In 1927, he became Minnesota's first African-American diplomat. He was appointed U.S. Minister to Liberia.
In Liberia, he spent nine months investigating the government. He found that Liberia's president, Charles D.B. King, was involved in selling young Liberians into forced labor. These people were sent to Spanish plantations on Bioko Island.
William Francis's report led to an investigation by the League of Nations. This investigation caused the president and vice president of Liberia to resign. Sadly, William Francis did not live to see this outcome. He died in Monrovia after suffering from yellow fever in 1929. A funeral was held for him at their church in St. Paul. A second funeral and burial took place in Nashville.
Nellie's Later Life
Nellie and William Francis married on August 14, 1893. They had a very close and happy marriage. Nellie called her husband Billy. They both cared deeply about equality for all people. They also loved singing and acting. They often performed together. Their 25th wedding anniversary in 1918 was even reported in newspapers. Nellie's sister, Lula, and her husband lived with them in St. Paul.
After her husband's death, Nellie Francis returned to Nashville. In 1930, the U.S. House of Representatives did not want to give her money equal to a year of her husband's salary. They said she was not dependent on him. However, in 1935, Congress approved the payment. Around that time, Nellie was living in Long Beach, California. She had attended the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Nellie Francis passed away on December 13, 1969, at the age of 95. She is buried with her husband in Greenwood Cemetery.
Honors and Legacy
In 1921, Nellie Francis was honored at her church. She received a silver "loving cup." This was a thank you from the people of St. Paul. It was for her work in getting the Anti-Lynch Law passed in Minnesota.
The Nashville Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women honored Francis in 1962. This tribute took place at Fisk University.
On Women's Equality Day, August 26, 2000, the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Memorial opened. It is on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol. Nellie Francis is one of 25 women honored there. Their names are on a steel trellis in the garden. These women led the fight for women's right to vote.
