Regina M. Anderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Regina Mathilde Andrews
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Regina M. Anderson
May 21, 1901 |
| Died | February 5, 1993 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Regina M. Andrews (married name), Ursula Trelling (pen names) |
| Education | Wilberforce University, Columbia University library school |
| Occupation | Librarian |
| Employer | New York Public Library |
| Known for | Dedicated Librarianship, integral member of Harlem Renaissance, breaking the color barrier |
| Spouse(s) | William Trent Andrews, Jr. |
| Children | 1 |
Regina M. Anderson (May 21, 1901 – February 5, 1993) was an amazing American playwright (someone who writes plays) and librarian. She came from a mix of backgrounds, including Native American, Jewish, and European. Even though she saw herself as "American," others often saw her as African-American. Regina was inspired by Ida B. Wells and the need to teach black history. She became a key person in the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-American art and culture really blossomed.
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Regina's Early Life
Regina was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother, Margaret Simons Anderson, was an artist. Her father, William Grant Anderson, was a skilled lawyer. Because her father was successful, Regina grew up in a comfortable, upper-middle-class family.
After her parents divorced, Regina lived with her grandparents in Normal, Illinois. Later, she moved back to Chicago. She graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1919.
College and First Library Jobs
Regina then studied at Wilberforce University, a college for black students. She also worked in its Carnegie Library. After a year, she returned to Chicago. In 1921, she got a job as a junior library assistant at the Chicago Public Library.
Soon after, Regina moved to New York. She first lived at a YWCA in downtown Manhattan. She applied to be a librarian at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library. She worked there under the guidance of Ernestine Rose.
The Harlem Renaissance and "The 580"
Regina shared an apartment in the Sugar Hill area of Harlem with her friends Ethel Ray and Louella Tucker. They opened their home to artists and writers. This apartment, at 580 Saint Nicholas Avenue, became known as "the 580" or the "Harlem West Side Literary Salon." It was a famous meeting place for creative people.
Regina helped organize a special dinner in 1924 for black thinkers and writers in New York. About 110 guests attended, including famous people like W. E. B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen. This dinner was a very important event that helped kick off the Harlem Renaissance.
Regina's Plays and Achievements
Regina Anderson and W. E. B. Du Bois also started a black theater group called the Krigwa Players. This group later became the Negro Experimental Theatre. They performed Regina's plays:
- Climbing Jacob's Ladder (about a terrible event called a lynching)
- Underground (about the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom)
In 1939, Regina was one of ten African-American women honored at the 1939 World's Fair in New York.
She made history at the New York Public Library. In 1938, she became the first minority person to become a supervising librarian at the 115th Street branch. Her hard work to break down racial barriers earned her many awards.
Regina lived longer than almost all the other members of the Harlem Renaissance. She passed away in Ossining, a town near New York City.
Regina married William T. Andrews, a lawyer for the NAACP and a New York assemblyman. They adopted a daughter born in 1945.
Regina's Library Career
Regina moved to New York in 1921, when she was 21, to work at the New York Public Library. She had already worked in libraries in Chicago. In 1923, she started as a full-time clerk. Her boss, Ernestine Rose, wanted librarians who represented the diverse community they served.
During this time, the library hosted meetings for important groups like the NAACP. Regina also organized talks by speakers like Hubert Harrison and Margaret Sanger. Regina retired from the New York Public Library in 1966. However, she continued to be active in her community.
Regina's Published Works
Here are some of the things Regina Anderson wrote:
- Climbing Jacob's Ladder (1931, a play)
- Underground (1932, a play)
- A Public Library Assists in Improving Race Relations (1946, her college paper)
- Intergroup Relations in the United States: A Compilation of Source Material and Service Organizations (1959, an article)
- Chronology of African-Americans in New York, 1621–1966 (1971, she helped edit this book)
- The Man Who Passed: A Play in One Act (published after her death in 1996, a play)
See also
- The Librarian at the Nexus of the Harlem Renaissance. [1]
