Protecting the Legacy: African American Women in Tennessee before 1930

A Digital Collection

Friday, November 17, 1-4:30pm

Saturday, November 18, 10am-2pm

Hooks Hyde Hall • Free

Nov. 17-18 at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Protecting the Uplift Legacy will digitize original photographs, documents and memorabilia at events held across Tennessee over the next two years. The goal is to make the materials available for public research and educational purposes once the project is complete.

Project leaders are asking those interested in participating to look through family history for information about African-American women that dates to 1930 and earlier. Places to start include:

• Letters, journals and photographs of African-American women, particularly leaders in the church, school or community;
• Newsletters and meeting notices published by Historic Black Churches and Women’s Clubs;
• Family stories passed down about women’s voting experiences in the 1920s.

The November event is organized by staff, students and volunteers from Chick History, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Memphis Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, and the University of Memphis; with support from the Memphis Center at Rhodes College.

Protecting the Uplift Legacy is the second phase of March to the 19th, a five-year project organized by the Nashville-based women’s history nonprofit, Chick History, in partnership with Humanities Tennessee. March to the 19th is a multi-stage initiative dedicated to commemorating the upcoming centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 2020. 

Oral histories will also be conducted on site for those who can vividly recall actions of African American women during this time period. For more details, call Chick History at 615-913-2513.