[Handwritten Letter and Program Concerning the Southern Illinois District Association of Colored Women]

Woods, Hannah A.

Verlag: Carbondale, Illinois, 1935

Beschreibung

11" x 8½" ALS, folded to 5½" x 3", + 8½" x 5½" bifolium program, printed all four sides. Very good: creases at old folds; a few tiny tears and a bit of light spotting. This is a pair of items related to the Southern Illinois District Association of Colored Women (SIDACW), an auxiliary of the state association. It includes a program for the group's 18th annual meeting in Carbondale as well as a signed letter written by SIDACW president Hannah Woods requesting a presentation at that meeting from another African American Illinois woman. SIDACW was established in 1917, and in 1935 was noted for their student scholarship fund as well as a summer camp for girls. From 1935 to 1936, Mrs. Hannah A. Woods served as president. Woods later received a large write-up and portrait as a "First Lady in Colored America" in The Crisis of September 1943, which shared that she was a public school music teacher and a vice chair of the Illinois State Council of Defense. She had also served as president of the State Association of Colored Women, as well as branches of the Woman's Relief Corps and the WCTU. Woods was active with the NAACP and president of her church's missionary society, authoring a booklet called The Missionary Guide, which was "used in many of the societies organized by her in other churches." In 1955 SIDACW dropped the word "Colored" from its name and replaced it with "Club." The group was still active as of 2012. In the present letter, addressed to Mrs. Gladys McGee of Mound City on SIDACW letterhead, Woods wrote: "I find your name was placed on the Committee of 'Social Service' and since you are engaged in that work in your county we would like so much to have a short talk or paper on 'Health and Hygiene.' You might discuss the topic in general or you could take up 'First Aid.' . . . Please let me know if you will appear that I may notify the program chairman. Wishing for you and family, health and happiness . . ." The program on offer here listed the SIDACW officers for 1935, revealed its motto of "Loyalty, Labor and Love" and confirmed that McGee did speak at the session, on "Health and Hygiene." The events also included a welcome by the city's mayor, musical selections by the Carbondale Community Chorus and others, a vocal contest and "A Visit to the Girls' Camp." There was a symposium on "The Negro and the New Deal," led by Anna B. Dorsey of Lovejoy, department reports, an introduction of national, state and district officers, and a talk on "Women in Industry" by Mrs. Susie Raspberry of Madison. The rear of the program held the text of "Lift Every Voice and Sing, National Negro Hymn." Rare evidence of an association of female African American leaders in Illinois. The program was not located in OCLC, which only shows one holding pertaining to the group at all, a list of officers from the 1950s. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 8073

Bibliografische Details

Titel: [Handwritten Letter and Program Concerning ...

Verlag: Carbondale, Illinois

Erscheinungsdatum: 1935

Zustand: Very good

Signiert: Signatur des Verfassers