Sadie and Mabry Oglesby facts for kids

Sadie Oglesby (born April 10, 1881, in Concord, North Carolina; died February 1956, in Boston, Massachusetts) and Mabry Oglesby (born January 14, 1870, in South Carolina; died May 19, 1945, in Boston, Massachusetts) were important African American followers of the Baháʼí Faith. They got married in October 1901. The couple became interested in the Baháʼí Faith in 1913 and officially joined the religion in 1917.

Mabry worked as a Pullman porter for trains his whole life. He even became the president of the Boston chapter of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1936. Sadie was a nurse and teacher. She went on a special Baháʼí pilgrimage in March 1927 and met Shoghi Effendi, who was the leader of the Baháʼí Faith at that time. During her trip, they talked a lot about racial unity. Sadie was the first black woman to go on this pilgrimage and meet Shoghi Effendi as the head of the religion. After this experience, Sadie spent her later years giving talks and encouraging Baháʼís to work for racial unity. Both Sadie and Mabry were elected to the Boston Spiritual Assembly, which is a local Baháʼí governing body. Sadie often served as its secretary.

Sadie's Early Life in North Carolina

Sadie E. J. Oglesby, whose maiden name was Shankle, grew up in North Carolina. Government records from 1910, 1920, and 1930 show she was from North Carolina and worked as a nurse. In fact, she became a head nurse later in her career.

Before moving, Sadie was a nurse in North Carolina. Newspaper articles mentioned her as a "colored nurse" who helped raise money for a hospital for black people in Pinehurst/Southern Pines. She actively asked white people for help to support this hospital, which cared for patients with tuberculosis. Sadie came from the well-known Shankle family near Concord, North Carolina. She trained as a nurse at the Dixie Training School for Nurses.

Mabry's Beginnings in South Carolina

Mabry C. Oglesby was born in South Carolina on January 14, 1870. This information is confirmed by US Census records from 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940. Some members of the Oglesby family had mixed Scottish-Irish and Cherokee backgrounds. They were known as "free persons of color." Mabry was often listed as "mulatto" on the US census forms.

Their Life Together and Family

Mabry C. Oglesby and Sadie E. J. Shankle got married in Washington, D.C., on October 17, 1901. He was 31 years old, and she was 20. They had a child born in 1902. In November 1903, the Oglesbys bought a home at 32 Seattle Street in Boston. This was likely possible due to an inheritance Sadie received after her father passed away. The house and land were valued at $3,300 back then, which would be worth over $85,000 today.

While Mabry worked as a railroad Pullman Porter, they also began an active social life. They hosted gatherings and visited places when Mabry's sister came to visit in 1907. In 1908, Sadie was reported as a head nurse at the New York Nurses Training School. She also gave talks at various clubs, discussing the important role of women in society. The couple even attended a discussion together in December 1908, where they heard Archibald Grimké speak. By April 1910, the census showed Mabry and Sadie living on Seattle Street in Boston with a nephew and a lodger. It also noted they had been married for about eight years and had one child.

Joining the Baháʼí Faith

According to a 1946 biography of Mabry, the Oglesbys first learned about the Baháʼí Faith in 1913. They studied the religion with teachers named Harlan and Grace Ober. By 1917, they were convinced and joined the Faith. The Oglesbys attended the national Baháʼí convention in 1920. They also started holding Baháʼí meetings in their home in Boston. Mabry often spoke at the regular Sunday afternoon Baháʼí meetings that were open to the public.

The Oglesby family even hosted Fazel Mazandarani, a Baháʼí scholar from Persia who was sent by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the leader of the Faith at that time. He gave a talk at their home in July during his tour of the United States. Mabry also gave a public talk at Chauncy Hall in December 1920, titled "The Bahai Revelation - the hope of Christianity."

The 1920 Census showed Mabry and Sadie Oglesby living on Albion Street with their daughter, Bertha R. They owned their home. Bertha was born in Washington, D.C., in 1912 and was 8 years old at the time. In January 1921, Mabry gave a talk about the Baháʼí House of Worship (Wilmette, Illinois). He continued to give talks at Chauncy Hall in Boston. In May, Mabry shared news from a translated message sent by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to the national convention.

Many Baháʼí meetings were held in Boston in the spring of 1922. Reports from November mentioned meetings, including those at the Oglesby home on Tuesdays. Mabry was scheduled to give a talk at Chauncy Hall in February 1923. During the 1923 national convention, Mabry served on the committee that approved delegates.

In February 1925, Mabry was scheduled to talk about "The Servant of Humanity" at the Boston Baháʼí Center. At the national convention, Mabry shared ideas about how Baháʼís in isolated areas could connect with more people. In June, Mabry gave a talk at the Boston Baháʼí Center called "Thy Kingdom Come." In 1926, Mabry gave talks at the Baháʼí Center on topics like "Service to man is service to God" and "The need for universal understanding."

Sadie's Special Pilgrimage

Sadie wrote notes about her Baháʼí pilgrimage, which began on March 11, 1927. There were five people on this pilgrimage, including Sadie and her daughter, and Edwina Powell. Sadie was the third black person to go on a Baháʼí pilgrimage. She was the first black woman pilgrim and the first black Baháʼí to be welcomed by Shoghi Effendi, the head of the religion. The first two black pilgrims were Robert Turner and Louis George Gregory.

Sadie wrote down many of Shoghi Effendi's thoughts about race issues during her pilgrimage. She remembered him saying:

• "Until the doors are opened and the colored people are attracted into the Cause the white people who are not believers will not have confidence in the sincerity of the friends and will not enter the Cause."
• "Racial unity and harmony, cooperation and freedom from racial prejudice is the first principle. If we will not keep the first principle, how can we hope to keep the following principles?"

Sadie recalled telling Shoghi Effendi that she had been a bit hesitant to speak out about race matters and to arrange meetings between different races. She had even tried to hold her husband, Mabry, back from doing so. However, Shoghi Effendi supported Mabry's approach. He told Sadie that she should be firm and urgent about the issue. He said that integrated communities, where "all differences are removed," were very important for the community's growth.

Sadie remembered that during his talks, others would sometimes interrupt, wanting to discuss other priorities. But Shoghi Effendi kept emphasizing that racial unity was the most important goal for America. He said, "America's problem is the establishment of unity and harmony between the white and colored people." Another day, they discussed what to do if an elected Baháʼí group did not have black members. He encouraged discussions about the needs of the Faith during meetings, but not during elections. He noted, "At present, the colored are overwhelmed by the white." Shoghi Effendi urged Baháʼís to "look within themselves and find there the reason of so few colored people being in the Cause." Sadie believed that since white people had caused the separation, they needed to fix it. Shoghi Effendi reportedly told her, "Yes, but we must help them." He encouraged her to "Be eager, earnest and forceful in this matter."

In 1938, Shoghi Effendi himself wrote about these important matters in his book Advent of Divine Justice. He explained that racial prejudice was a major challenge for the Baháʼí community in America. He urged white Baháʼís to work hard to overcome their feelings of superiority and to show genuine friendship. He also asked black Baháʼís to respond warmly, forgive the past, and let go of any lingering suspicion. He stressed that both groups needed to work together with "genuine love, extreme patience, true humility, consummate tact, sound initiative, mature wisdom, and deliberate, persistent, and prayerful effort" to solve this problem.

Sadie said they stayed for 20 days. During this time, Mabry gave a talk at Chauncy Hall about "Independent investigation of truth." After returning home, Sadie sent a message to the national convention, which was read by Mrs. Ober. It was a strong plea for unity across all racial and ethnic groups. Edwina Powell, who was also on the pilgrimage, agreed with Sadie's experience of Shoghi Effendi's focus on unity.

Working for Racial Unity

Race Amity Conventions

The Oglesbys were not recorded at the very first Baháʼí public meetings on racial unity, called Race Amity Conventions, which started in 1921. However, at a 1927 Race Amity meeting at the Green Acre Baháʼí School, Sadie and Edwina Powell shared their experiences from the pilgrimage and their strong calls for racial unity. News about this also appeared in The Chicago Defender.

Meetings in 1928

Sadie led the fourth public conference for "Inter-Racial Harmony and Peace" sponsored by the Baháʼís. It took place at Chauncy Hall in Boston on March 18. Margaret Slattery, a well-known writer and speaker interested in religion and women's issues, also spoke. Sadie visited the Chicago Defender offices during the national convention in Chicago and was honored with a reception. Sadie also visited Milwaukee in 1928.

In August, Sadie spoke at Green Acre with Philip Marangella and William Randall. She was a black woman on stage with two white men, talking about the Baháʼí teachings and what they meant to those who truly followed them. In November, Mabry was one of four speakers at the second session of the Race Amity Convention at Green Acre. He spoke alongside Keith Ransom-Kehler, Agnes Parsons, and Mary Maxwell (who later became known as Rúhíyyih Khánum). Mabry, a black man, spoke with three white women.

Meetings in 1929

The Oglesbys attended the national convention. Mabry closed a conference in Boston that followed the convention, which focused on promoting the Baháʼí Faith. Mabry shared a comment that Sadie said Shoghi Effendi had made: that both races would need to make compromises to build unity on the race problem.

Serving the Boston Baháʼí Community

The Boston Baháʼí Assembly held two meetings on Race Amity in 1930. Sadie spoke at the first meeting. The 1930 Census showed that most of the Oglesbys' neighbors were Polish or Russian immigrants. From 1933 to 1934, Sadie served as the treasurer of the Boston Spiritual Assembly during the time of the Great Depression in the United States.

At the July 1933 Race Amity Convention at Green Acre, Sadie was among those who spoke. She shared instructions that Shoghi Effendi had given her about race relations. Sadie was also one of the delegates from Boston for the 1934 national convention. Information becomes less detailed as the 1930s continued. Mabry kept working as a Pullman Porter. In 1935, Louis George Gregory noted that the Boston Baháʼí community was integrated, with a large number of black members, largely thanks to Sadie's efforts. Sadie's home was one of the places that hosted weekly study classes in Boston.

Sadie was a delegate for the 1936 national convention from Boston. In the same year, Mabry was elected president of the Boston local chapter of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Sadie was the secretary of the Boston Spiritual Assembly in 1937 and again in 1940. The 1940 Census found the Oglesbys living on West Springfield Street. At the 1941 Race Unity meeting at Green Acre, Sadie read prayers and quotes during the Sunday morning session on August 10. It is known that Mabry was also a member of the Boston Assembly for 14 years, though the exact years are not clear.

Sadie's Later Years and Legacy

Starting in 1943, Sadie began giving a series of talks. She adopted the name Ammet'u'lláh, which is Arabic for "Handmaiden of God." She used this name in newspaper advertisements for her talks and within the Boston Baháʼí community. In November, her talk was titled "Man's birthright." In March 1944, she gave a talk called "Step by step with the prophets." In July, she offered "Independent investigation of truth," and in August, "Divine love." In March 1945, her talk was "The days of days."

Mabry passed away on May 19, 1945. Sadie continued her talks. In June, her talk was "The fulfillment." In August, she spoke about "The Covenant of God." In December, her talk was "The second coming of Christ." Her last known talk, "The call to reality," was in March 1946. Ammet'u'lláh Sadie Oglesby passed away in February 1956.

See also

• Baháʼí Faith in Greater Boston
• Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity