Tressie Souders facts for kids

Tressie Souders (born February 7, 1897 – died January 17, 1995) was a very important person in film history. She was the first known African American woman to direct a full-length movie. This film was called A Woman's Error and it came out in 1922.

Tressie's Early Life

Theresa Ann Souders was born in Frankfort, Kansas. She was the only child of Robert Souders and Leuvenia Ann Bryant. Her parents were African American and came from Kentucky. They likely moved to Kansas because of a big movement called the Exoduster movement. This was when many African Americans left the South to find new lives in the American West.

Tressie's parents later separated. In 1904, her mother, Leuvenia, married Chester Arthur Harris. He worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Tressie's mother and stepfather had six more children together.

Tressie grew up in Frankfort and finished high school in 1918. After school, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri. There, she worked as a maid in people's homes. This was a job she did for most of her life. In 1921, records show she was working as a maid in a large house in Kansas City.

Making History: A Woman's Error

It's not fully known how Tressie Souders started making films. But we do know she acted in a play in 1918. It was called "Every Negro" and was put on by a church in Frankfort.

Other local people in Kansas City also made films around this time. For example, a doctor named A. Porter Davis made A Lure of A Woman in 1921. Also, a newspaper editor named Maria P. Williams directed and starred in The Flames of Wrath in 1923. These films used local actors and were made right in Kansas City.

In January 1922, a company called Afro-American Film Exhibitors Company agreed to share Tressie's film, "A Woman's Error." This company had offices in Kansas City, Missouri, Baltimore, Maryland, and Dallas, Texas. A magazine called Billboard Magazine announced that "A Woman's Error" was special. They said it was the first film made by a young woman of their race. Critics also said it showed "Negro life" in a true way.

Sadly, no copies of A Woman's Error have been found yet.

Later Years and Legacy

Between 1923 and 1926, Tressie Souders moved to Los Angeles, California. She might have hoped to work more in the movie business there. However, she mostly continued to work as a domestic worker. In 1930, she lived at the Sojourner Truth Industrial Home.

In 1935, she married Oscar C. West. He owned a pool hall in Los Angeles. Their marriage did not last long. By 1940, Tressie was living in San Francisco, California. She was staying at the Madame C.J. Walker Home for Girls. Oscar West passed away in 1942. Tressie and Oscar did not have any children.

Tressie West stayed in San Francisco for the rest of her life. She sometimes visited Los Angeles or her home state of Kansas. She died just before her 98th birthday. She is buried with her mother, stepfather, and other family members in Frankfort, Kansas.

Her Lasting Impact: Legacy and Awards

Tressie Souders' work is remembered today. The Tressie Souders Film Society was created from the International Black Women's Film Festival (IBWFF). This festival started in San Francisco in 2001. The Society helps to recognize and save films made by Black women or films that show Black people in positive ways. Their goal is to support new and experienced filmmakers who share their mission.

In 2008, the IBWFF started the Tressie Souders Awards, also called "Tressies." These awards are now known as the Black Laurel Awards.

The IBWFF also started "Tressie Magazine." This magazine shares interesting articles about Black actresses. It also looks at style, music, and the film industry, especially for women of color.