Woman's Era Club facts for kids
| Named after | The Woman's Era |
|---|---|
| Founder | Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin |
| Founded at | Boston, Massachusetts, US |
| Type | Woman's club |
The Woman's Era Club was a special group for African-American women. It was started in Boston, Massachusetts, by Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin between 1892 and 1894. This club was the very first women's club for Black women in Boston. It became famous for a big disagreement in 1900. Josephine Ruffin tried to get the club to join a larger group called the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), which was mostly white. This effort was about making things fair for everyone.
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How the Club Started
The Woman's Era Club was the first club of its kind for African-American women in Boston. Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin was the person who founded it. The club began sometime between 1892 and 1894. Its name came from a newspaper called The Woman's Era. Before that, it was sometimes called "The New Era Club."
When it started, 113 women joined the club. Josephine Ruffin was their president. She led the Woman's Era Club until at least 1903, and possibly even longer.
What the Club Did
The Woman's Era Club welcomed both Black and white women. Their main goals were to help others, improve themselves, and do good deeds. At the time, it was one of the biggest women's clubs for African Americans.
The club talked about important issues. These included unfair violence against Black people and the right for women to vote. Josephine Ruffin wanted the club to help Black people succeed. She also wanted to improve cities and fight for women's rights. It was important to the club to show all the good things Black people were doing. The club's motto was "make the world better." These were also the last words of a famous woman named Lucy Stone.
Important Meetings and Changes
In 1895, the Woman's Era Club suggested a big meeting for African-American women from all over the country. This idea led to the First National Conference of the Colored Women of America. It was the first time Black women in the United States had such a large conference. It happened in July 1895.
In 1901, the club moved its main office to Tremont Temple in Boston. Some records say Ruffin was president until 1903. However, a newspaper called The New York Age reported she was still president in 1910. By then, they were meeting at the Robert Gould Shaw House. The Woman's Era Club later joined with another large group, the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs (NACW).
A Big Disagreement with Another Club
In 1895, the Woman's Era Club joined the Massachusetts State Federation of Women's Clubs. Later, it was accepted into the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC). The president of the GFWC, Rebecca Douglas Lowe, did not realize she had accepted a club for Black women. By April 1900, the Woman's Era Club had its membership paper and had paid its fees.
In June 1900, Josephine Ruffin went to a big GFWC meeting in Milwaukee. She was there to represent the Woman's Era Club. Ruffin was offered a seat as a delegate from two other clubs that were mostly white. But she insisted that the Woman's Era Club be officially recognized.
The Massachusetts state clubs then tried to get the GFWC to formally accept the Woman's Era Club. But women from several southern states, especially Georgia, voted against it. Ruffin tried to take legal action against the GFWC. She hoped Booker T. Washington would help her, but the legal action never happened.
This attempt by the Woman's Era Club to join the GFWC became a very talked-about issue among women's clubs. Ruffin was still chosen to be a delegate for the next GFWC meeting in 1902.
News about this disagreement, known as the "Ruffin incident," was mostly positive for Ruffin and for Black women. The Decatur Herald newspaper wrote that Ruffin's request showed how much Black women were progressing in the United States. However, The Evening Transcript newspaper said that Black women's clubs in the South did not like Ruffin's actions. They worried it would cause problems or make them lose support from white women's clubs who were helping in their own towns.
Important Members
- Agnes Jones Adams, who was on the club's main board.
- Maria Louise Baldwin, who also served on the main board.
- Alice A. Casneau, a dressmaker and club member from Boston.
- Eliza Ann Gardner, who served as a chaplain and helped organize the club.
- Florida Ruffin Ridley, who was the club's secretary.
- Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, who was the club's president.
See also
