Willie Barrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie Barrow
|
|
|---|---|
Barrow in 2012
|
|
| Born |
Willie Beatrice Taplin
December 7, 1924 Burton, Texas, U.S.
|
| Died | March 12, 2015 (aged 90) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
|
| Resting place | Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois |
| Other names |
|
| Education | Warner Pacific Theological Seminary Moody Bible Institute Central Conservatory of Music University of Monrovia |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Years active | 1935–2015 |
| Organization | Rainbow/PUSH Chicago, Illinois |
| Known for | Civil rights activism, Operation PUSH leadership |
|
Notable work
|
How to Get Married and Stay Married (book; 2004) |
| Spouse(s) |
Clyde Barrow
(m. 1945; died 1998) |
| Children | Keith Barrow |
Willie Beatrice Barrow (born Taplin; December 7, 1924 – March 12, 2015) was an American civil rights activist and a minister. She worked hard to make sure everyone had fair treatment and equal rights.
Barrow helped start Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity). This group was first called Operation Breadbasket. She worked with Rev. Jesse Jackson to create it. In 1984, Barrow became the first woman to lead a civil rights organization as CEO of Operation PUSH. She was also the godmother of President Barack Obama.
Contents
Early Life and Activism
Willie Beatrice Taplin was born in Burton, Texas. Her father, Nelson, was a minister. Her mother, Octavia, had seven children. When Willie was 12, she showed her courage. She organized a protest because white students rode a bus to school, but black students had to walk.
Willie confronted the bus driver. She demanded that he let her friends ride. She told him, "Y'all can kill me if you want to. But I'm tired." This moment showed her strong spirit.
Education and Early Career
At age 16, Barrow moved to Portland, Oregon. She studied at the Warner Pacific Theological Seminary. This school is now called Warner Pacific College. While she was a student, Barrow helped build one of the first black Churches of God in Portland. After she graduated, she became an ordained minister.
During World War II, Barrow worked as a welder. She worked at the Swan Island Shipyard. There, she met Clyde Barrow. They got married in 1945 in Washington.
Moving to Chicago and Continued Service
In the early 1940s, Willie and Clyde Barrow moved to Chicago. Willie continued her studies at the Moody Bible Institute. She wanted to learn more about serving others. They lived on the South Side of Chicago. Barrow led the youth choir at Langley Avenue Church of God.
Her minister asked her to help organize actions for the civil rights movement. Barrow became very active in politics. She campaigned for Harold Washington. He became Chicago's first Black Mayor in 1983. She also worked on Jesse Jackson's Presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988.
Leading Civil Rights Efforts
In the 1950s, Willie Barrow worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders. She was a field organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This group worked for civil rights across the South.
In the 1960s, she helped start the Chicago part of Operation Breadbasket. She worked closely with Rev. Jesse Jackson. Barrow also spoke out against the Vietnam War. In 1968, she even led a group to North Vietnam to protest the war.
She joined the National Urban League in 1943. In 1945, she joined the National Council of Negro Women. She was a strong voice for change. In 1973, she protested cuts to social services by the government.
Fighting for Everyone's Rights
Barrow was an activist for many groups. She supported the LGBT community. She also fought for people with HIV/AIDS. She believed in fair pay for workers. She was a strong supporter of women's rights.
In an interview in 1987, she shared her thoughts. She said that some people preferred male ministers, even if women were more skilled. She worked to change this idea. She encouraged Jesse Jackson to include more women in leadership roles. She said, "As Jesse grew, his vision grew. Anytime that there was a committee was formed, it would be all men. I'd say 'Jesse, you haven an unbalanced committee. You've got to have some women.'" She helped make it a habit to include women.
Important Events and Contributions
Willie Barrow attended many important events in history:
- She was at the 1963 March on Washington. This was a huge event for civil rights.
- She was present during Bloody Sunday in 1965. This was a key moment in the fight for voting rights.
- She took part in the Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. This project honors people who died from AIDS.
- She spoke at a protest against a school strike in Chicago in 1987.
- She was a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention in 2008.
- In 2001, she marched against U.S. Naval bombing in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
- She participated in the Million Family March.
- In 1994, she spoke at a forum about violence against women. She believed it affected all families, no matter their background.
Later Years and Legacy
Even in her later years, Willie Barrow stayed active. Every Saturday, she would take part in demonstrations. She also attended weekly events for Rainbow/PUSH. She helped many young people by paying for their college tuition. She mentored over a hundred people in PUSH. She helped them grow and become leaders in the movement.
Barrow was also a co-pastor at the Vernon Park Church of God in Chicago. She helped raise money for housing for seniors. She also funded after-school programs for kids. She focused on stopping gun violence in Chicago. She also worked to protect the Voting Rights Act. This law helped secure rights that were fought for during the Selma marches.
Willie Barrow passed away on March 12, 2015, at the age of 90. She died from respiratory failure in Chicago. After her death, a tribute was held at Operation PUSH headquarters. Her funeral took place at her church, Vernon Park Church of God. She left behind a powerful legacy of fighting for justice and equality.
