By Jessica Lamb / Women’s Museum of California

One of the most significant women’s clubs of all time was formed by black women for the advancement and empowerment of black communities. It is also the first and oldest national Black Organization, and it is known as the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs.

For Black Americans, the post-abolition era was characterized by a shadow of violence, hardship, and oppression. Plagued by social issues like poverty, illiteracy, and poor working conditions, black communities recognized a resounding need for justice and reform. The rise of Jim Crow Laws gave way to heightened racism, then to widespread violence as lynchings threatened the safety and sovereignty of African Americans.

Especially in the South, white communities ignored the dire call to end racism and racial violence. In 1896, that call became even more urgent when a journalist named James Jacks delivered a horrifying response to a letter asking him to publicly condemn lynching. Jacks specifically attacked black women in his publication, describing them as “prostitutes” and “thieves” who were “devoid of morality”. His words demonstrated that much of the country was too enmeshed in it’s archaic, dangerous views of race to come to the aid of its black citizens.   [Read more…]