Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey
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| Born |
Samaria R. Mitcham
June 29, 1947 Macon, Georgia, U.S.
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| Spouse(s) | Alphonso Bailey |
| Children | 4, including Joycine Guerra, Alexis Bailey, Kimberly Johnson, and Alyse Bailey |
| Parent(s) | Wilbur Mitcham and Annie Mae Leonard |
Samaria Bailey is an amazing African-American woman. She played a very important part in the civil rights movement. This was a time when people worked to make sure everyone, no matter their skin color, had equal rights. Samaria was one of the first students to help end segregation at A. L. Miller Senior High School in Macon, Georgia. This school used to be only for white girls. Later, she became one of the first African-American women to be accepted into Mercer University. Samaria also became a talented pianist. Her inspiring life story was even turned into a popular book and a play!
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Samaria's Early Life
Samaria Bailey went to a school that was traditionally for Black students. This school allowed both boys and girls to attend.
Breaking Barriers at Miller High School
Samaria Bailey helped to end segregation at A. L. Miller Senior High School. Segregation meant that Black and white students went to separate schools. Samaria was one of the very few non-white students at Miller High. Even though it was a new and challenging experience, Samaria was known as a smart and good young woman. She worked hard and graduated with honors.
I wanted to see if I was really as smart as they said I was.
Helping Other Students Learn
Because of Samaria's experiences, a special tutoring program was made better. This program helped students who needed extra help with their schoolwork. They even got students from places like UCLA to come and teach. The next summer, in 1965, almost 100 students joined this helpful tutoring program.
Desegregating Mercer University
After high school, Samaria was accepted into Mercer University. She was the first African-American woman to attend this university. At Mercer, Samaria still faced unfair treatment. Some students ignored her or avoided looking at her. Even some professors treated her as if she wasn't there. In her chemistry class, she was the only girl. Her professor had to make another student be her lab partner.
But this unfair treatment did not stop Samaria from continuing her education. She once said, "I've never been a quitter." She was determined to finish her studies.
While at Mercer, Samaria continued to play the piano. She was so good that several music companies offered her recording contracts. But she turned them down because she wanted to focus on her education.
Samaria's Life After College
After graduating from college, Samaria Bailey started her own company called Med-Tech Service. This company provided medical help, like nurses and technicians, to people in the Macon area. Med-Tech Service employed between forty and fifty people.
Samaria believed in working together. She said, "I was never a separatist. I was never a black militant. I just always wanted to get the job done." This meant she didn't want people to be separated by race. In fact, about ninety percent of her employees were white. As of 2014, Samaria Bailey lived with her husband in Macon, Georgia.
