Learning From Mary Church Terrell

Photo of Terrell taken between 1880-1900. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/97500102/

This Curiosity Kit Educational Resource was created by Katie McCarthy a NCPE intern with the Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education.

Background:

Mary Church Terrell was a prominent civil rights and women’s suffrage advocate during the early 1900s. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Robert and Louisa Church. Her parents had been enslaved prior to the Civil War and went on to become affluent business people after gaining their freedom. Terrell earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and used her education and wealth to fight discrimination. In 1891, Mary married Robert Herberton Terrell, an educator and lawyer. For much of her adult life, Terrell lived and worked in Washington DC, where she participated in and led the National Council of Colored Women (NACW) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). You can find out more about Mary Church Terrell’s life and work by visiting this article about her and by exploring the Places of Mary Church Terrell.

Objectives:

1. Understand the causes Mary Church Terrell advocated for.

2. Learn about events, such as marches, that Mary Church Terrell participated in.

3. Understand how Mary Church Terrell and her civil rights advocacy connects to your own life.

4. Analyze primary sources for central ideas and specific textual evidence.

5. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose.

Inquiry Question:

Mary Church Terrell advocated for a number of causes, including racial and gender equality. What do you advocate for? Why is this important to you?

Activity One:

Mary Church Terrell was a founding member of the NAACP, and a contributor to the NAACP’s magazine The Crisis. In 1915, a special edition of The Crisis was published, titled “Votes for Women.” Over twenty-five prominent Black leaders and activists contributed articles on the importance of women’s suffrage, including Mary Church Terrell. The magazine can be found here, through the Modernist Journals Project. Terrell’s article is on page 191.

First, locate and read Mary Church Terrell’s article. After you do so, answer the questions below:

1. What reasons does Mary Church Terrell give for women’s suffrage?

2. Why does she think her readers should fight for women’s suffrage?

3. Why does she think the moment when she wrote the article is the time for women’s suffrage?

4. Based on the magazine her article is in, who do you think her audience is?

5. What kind of tone is she writing with? Do you think that is affected by her audience?

After you answer the questions, read another of the articles about votes for women in the magazine. Does this author have the same arguments as Terrell? If not, how do they differ? Is there tone different or similar? Do you think they are writing for the same audience?

When people write opinion pieces, or “op-eds,” they try to convince others to agree with them. Now it’s your turn! After researching a cause that’s important to you, write an op-ed like Mary Church Terrell’s in order to argue for you cause. As you write, think about your audience. What facts would be convincing to them (make sure you’re honest and accurate!) and what kind of tone would they appreciate?

Activity Two:

During Mary Church Terrell’s lifetime, emails and computers didn’t exist. Instead, people wrote letters to each other by hand or on a typewriter. You can see Terrell’s letters, along with her speeches, writings, and diaries, at the Library of Congress. Terrell was a fierce activist throughout her life, participating in marches, boycotts, picket lines, sit-ins, and lawsuits as a member of the NAACP and NACW. Pick one event from Terrell’s life, and write her a letter about it. Share with her why you think this event was important? How do you think this event affected the Civil Rights movement? How do you think this event affected you or your community? How do you think this event made Terrell feel?

Activity Three:

The Places of Mary Church Terrell article highlights different places where Terrell lived or worked that had significance in her life. Each of us has places of significance too! This might be where you go to school, where you live, or places where you play or visit family or friends. Now it’s your turn to create a “Places of” article! First, pick three places that are special to you. Once you do, answer the following questions:

1. Why is this place more important than other places?

2. What do you do in this place?

3. Describe this place: what does it look like? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? What does it sound like?

4. How do you feel when you’re at this place?

5. Who else is normally at this place with you?

6. What does this place say about you?