Salaria Kea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salaria Kea
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| Born | 13 July 1917 |
| Died | 18 May 1990 (aged 72) |
| Known for | Spanish Civil War World War II |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Nurse |
Salaria Kea O'Reilly (born July 13, 1917 – died May 18, 1990) was an American nurse and activist. She worked to end segregation in the United States. Salaria volunteered as a nurse during both the Spanish Civil War and World War II. She was the only African American nurse in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion during the Spanish Civil War.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Salaria Kea was born on July 13, 1917, in Milledgeville, Georgia. After her father passed away, her family moved to Akron, Ohio. Her mother returned to Georgia, and Salaria was cared for by her three older brothers.
Salaria dreamed of becoming a nurse. However, racial segregation laws in Ohio made it hard for her to train there. In 1930, she moved to New York City. She graduated from the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing in 1934. While studying, she helped end segregation in the hospital's dining room. She also worked to make conditions better for African American nurses.
After graduating, Kea became the head nurse at Seaview Hospital in New York. During this time, she became involved in political activism. She joined the Communist Party USA in 1935.
Helping Others in War
In 1935, when the Second Italo-Ethiopian War began, Kea and other nurses raised money. They sent medical supplies to Ethiopian soldiers. Salaria wanted to go to Ethiopia to nurse, but the emperor, Haile Selassie, did not accept foreign volunteers.
In 1936, she tried to join the American Red Cross to help flood victims in the Midwest. However, she was turned down because of her race.
Volunteering in the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War started in 1936. Salaria Kea traveled across the United States. She gave talks to raise money for the Second Spanish Republic. During this time, she strongly believed in fighting against fascism.
Inspired by the war in Ethiopia, Kea decided to volunteer. She joined the International Brigades in Spain in March 1937. She worked with the American Medical Bureau and the Abraham Lincoln Battalion. Her Catholic faith was a big reason for her decision.
After arriving in Spain, Kea helped set up a field hospital near Madrid. She was captured by the Spanish Nationalist Army and held for six weeks. Luckily, soldiers from the International Brigade helped her escape.
At Villa Paz, Kea met an injured Irish soldier named John Patrick O’Reilly. They later got married. In early 1938, Kea moved to different units in Aragon, Lerida, and Barcelona. She was hurt in a bombing raid by the Nationalists. Her injuries were serious, so she returned to the United States in May 1938. That same year, Kea wrote about her experiences in Spain. Her story was published as a pamphlet called Salaria Kea: A Negro Nurse in Republican Spain.
World War II and Later Life
In 1940, John O’Reilly was allowed to move to the United States. He was soon drafted into the military for World War II. In early 1944, Kea became a volunteer nurse for the United States Army. She was part of the first group of African American nurses the Army was allowed to hire.
In the United States, Kea and O’Reilly faced a lot of racism. In Akron, they received threats and their property was damaged. Kea often said her time with the International Brigades was the best part of her life. She felt free from discrimination there.
After the war, the O'Reilly family lived in New York. Kea worked in several hospitals, helping to end segregation among staff. In 1973, the couple retired to Akron. Salaria Kea passed away on May 18, 1990.
See also
In Spanish: Salaria Kea O'Reilly para niños
