Democracy in Action

Mary Church Terrell was active in a number of organizations that aimed to improve the lives and rights of American Americans, particularly women. She was frequently invited to serve on committees, give speeches, and provide funds to groups hoping to advance people of color through education, sports, and of course, by changing and improving the American legal system. In these papers you'll find evidence of her involvement with the National Association of Colored Women and the NAACP, both of which she cofounded, the National Association of College Women, the League of Women Voters, and others. Her anti-lynching, and desegregation work in Washington, DC, and support of Ruth Hanna McCormick's Illinois senatorial campaign, 1929-1930, are also represented.