Rachel Davis Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rachel Davis Harris
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| Born |
Rachel Jewell Davis
January 10, 1869 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | September 22, 1969 (aged 100) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Central High School (Louisville, Kentucky) |
| Occupation | librarian, activist |
| Spouse(s) | Rev. E.G. Harris (1893) |
| Relatives | John Everett Harris (son) William Henry Davis(brother) John P. Davis nephew |
Rachel Davis Harris (born January 10, 1869 – died September 22, 1969) was an important American librarian and activist. She was a leading African American director and children's librarian at the Louisville Free Public Library, Western Colored Branch. This was one of the first libraries built for African Americans in the southern United States during a time of segregation. Rachel Harris worked hard to bring library services to young people and to make sure everyone in the black community could use the library, even during the Jim Crow era when laws kept people separated.
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Early Life and Education
Rachel Jewell Davis was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Her parents were Susan Davis and Jerry Davis. She finished high school at Central High School in 1885. Back then, many black people in Louisville could not read or write. Because Rachel had a high school degree, she became a respected member of the black community in Louisville.
After graduating, she became a teacher. She taught from 1885 to 1903. During this time, Rachel married Rev. Everett G. Harris, who was a pastor at the Plymouth Congregational Church. They had one son together.
Building a Library Career
The Louisville Free Public Library opened the Western Colored Branch. This library was built with money from Carnegie funds. In 1905, Rachel Harris was hired as an assistant librarian at this branch. She worked alongside her mentor, Thomas Fountain Blue.
Mr. Blue was very passionate about providing library services to the local black community. His passion inspired Rachel Harris to also push for more outreach. Rachel and Mr. Blue were the first black public librarians in Louisville. They were pioneers, creating a new public service for the black community. Both were strong leaders in southern librarianship, writing and publishing articles locally and nationally.
Helping Young Readers
While working at the Colored Branch in Louisville, Rachel Harris loved working with young people. She started weekly story times, clubs for boys and girls, and visited schools. These visits helped encourage school children to use the library.
Rachel also worked with teachers in Louisville. She helped them create collections of books for classrooms that matched what students were learning. Her years as a teacher taught her how important it was for students to have access to books outside of school. She believed these books should be both fun and educational.
After five years, Rachel Harris's outreach project was a big success. Her efforts helped increase the number of books borrowed from 18,000 to 55,000. She said that people just needed a chance and encouragement to use the library. She was very proud of what they achieved.
Expanding Library Services
Rachel Harris became more and more important in the African American community. In September 1913, she became the senior assistant in charge of the new Eastern Colored Branch. This branch was also built with Carnegie funds.
Rachel Harris and Mr. Blue also started a training program. This program helped people who wanted to work in libraries around the state. Many of the people trained in this program went on to work at the Western and Eastern Colored Branches. By 1924, 37 black women from the area had been trained by Rachel and Mr. Blue. The success of this program showed how important Rachel Harris was in the Louisville African American and library communities.
Her reputation grew, allowing her to help open new library branches for African Americans in Roanoke, Virginia and Georgetown, Kentucky. Rachel continued to work with schools to add more books and services in Louisville and Jefferson County. By 1923, she had helped set up 58 classroom book collections in 30 different school buildings.
Leading the Library
When Mr. Blue passed away in 1935, Rachel Harris took his place as the head librarian of the Colored Branch. As the head, she worked with people in a Louisville community called Parkland. Together, they opened a small library branch in a rented room of a private home.
In 1954, this small library was replaced by a full branch in the new Cotter Homes Project. The new building was named after Rachel Harris. This was to honor her great work in reaching out to African American youth in Louisville. Even after she retired in 1942, Rachel Harris continued to support library services for the black community in Louisville. Her knowledge and passion inspired many young black female librarians to care deeply about social issues and helping their communities.
A Lasting Legacy
Rachel Harris had a huge impact on children's libraries in Louisville and across the South. She encouraged more services for young people at the Western Branch. She was one of the "matriarchal profession" of librarians who introduced children to folk tales, fairy tales, and other stories.
Rachel Harris also showed how librarians could be educated, middle-class women who served their communities. She did this by focusing on the needs of children and their education. In this way, Rachel Harris helped support the Civil Rights Movement that spread across the nation.
