Vivian Smith (suffragist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vivian Smith
Vivian Smith at 1916 graduation
Born	1894 Kentucky, US
Occupation	Teacher, civil rights leader, and suffragist

Vivian Smith (born 1894) was an important American teacher and leader. She worked for civil rights and for women's right to vote. She made history at Iowa State Teachers College. This school is now called the University of Northern Iowa. Vivian Smith was the first Black student to earn a bachelor's degree in English there. In 2021, she was honored in a special exhibit. This exhibit celebrated African American women in Iowa who fought for voting rights.

About Vivian Smith's Life

Vivian Smith was born in 1894 in Kentucky. Her parents were Clemmie and Samuel Smith. Her family later moved to Clinton, Iowa. There, her parents worked as cooks in a hotel.

After a big worker strike in 1911, her family moved again. They went to Waterloo, Iowa. Vivian went to school there. In 1916, she graduated from Iowa State Teachers College. This college is in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She was the first Black student to get a bachelor's degree in English from the school. Her cousin, Murda Beason, also graduated from the same university a few months before her.

Vivian Smith was very talented. She played the violin and loved to sing. She often performed at meetings for the Iowa Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. She was also a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. We do not know the exact date when she passed away.

Vivian Smith's Work

After college, Vivian Smith wanted to be a teacher. But it was hard for her to find a job because she was Black. Waterloo did not hire Black teachers until 1952. She first found work as a house cleaner.

Later, Vivian Smith started the Waterloo Suffragette Council. This group worked to get women the right to vote. She was also a leader in the Iowa Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. She served as an officer and led their suffrage efforts.

Eventually, she became a teacher. She taught in Kamrar and Blairsburg in Iowa. She also taught in Illinois.

In 2021, Vivian Smith was part of a special museum exhibit. It was called "Toward a Universal Suffrage: African American Women in Iowa and the Vote for All." This exhibit traveled to different places. It was created by several groups. These included the Iowa Department of Human Rights, the Central Iowa Community Museum, and Iowa State University.

Images for kids

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  Vivian Smith at her graduation in 1916.

See also

In Spanish: Vivian Smith para niños