I first heard about this lady at an exhibit about the accomplishments of black women, and I can't remember what made me interested in reading her autobiography--maybe seeing that she was one of the first black women to get a BA (hers from Oberlin). Very interesting and pretty enjoyable--the book moved quickly. It's not great writing--you can see why Terrell had to self-publish; and she struck me as the kind of woman who would have objected to editing, even BEFORE she started talking about how much she disliked it when newspapers and magazines edited her work--but very readable, and often both intentionally and unintentionally funny. (Even chapters with titles like "Notable Lecture Engagements" are entertaining.) I felt very naive, reading it; she presents ideas that I thought of as more modern, and it's clear that the roots of the Civil Rights movement had been around for many decades longer than I'd known. Terrell lived in an interesting time (this almost reminds me of one of those historical fiction or time-travel books where the ordinary person just HAPPENS to be around for every significant event ever), especially since she saw things get much better for black people right after the Civil War, and then get worse again around the turn of the century.

What an inspiring woman!

"Please stop using the word "Negro".... We are the only human beings in the world with fifty-seven variety of complexions who are classed together as a single racial unit. Therefore, we are really truly colored people, and that is the only name in the English language which accurately describes us."

"As a colored woman I may enter more than one white church in Washington without receiving that welcome which as a human being I have the right to expect in the sanctuary of God."


"Surely nowhere in the world do oppression and persecution based solely on the color of the skin appear more hateful and hideous than in the capital of the United States, because the chasm between the principles upon which this Government was founded, in which it still professes to believe, and those which are daily practiced under the protection of the flag, yawn so wide and deep.

Mary Church Terrell was a powerful, rich woman who corrected wrongs in American history.

#Blacklivesmatter!

4 inspiring starts

IQ "It is not because colored people are so obsessed with the desire to live among white people that they try and buy property in a white neighborhood. They do so because the houses there are modern, as a rule, and are better in every way than are those which have been discarded and turned over to their own group. If colored people could find houses on a street restrict to themselves which were as well built and as up to date as are those in white districts, they would make no effort to thrust themselves upon their fair-skinned brothers and sisters who object to having them in close proximity" (155).

The quote above is a taste of housing discrimination in the early 20th century and the same logic Terrell mentions could easily be applied to why Black people wanted to send their children to white schools. It is beyond unfortunate that this quote can still be applied to the world today but at the same time this is what made Terrell's memoir so fascinating, the fact that she dealt with so many of the same issues we do today, we've made so much progress but so little at the same time. I decided to read this autobiography because I read somewhere (I think in OUR KIND OF PEOPLE) that she came from a wealthy Black family and married into one in the late 19th century and I was intrigued by how that came about. The writing isn't great stylistically, it can be long-winded and the narratives were occasionally distracting as they seemed to contribute little to her life story. But the life itself is noteworthy and her story contains many little truths and strong observations such as; " What a fine thing it would be if the North were as loyal as to what it claims to be its principles as the South is to its views" (330). That could easily be in an essay written today about our flailing political system.

It was also interesting to read her story since she speaks quite highly of white abolitionists such as Susan B. Anthony, women I'd read who viewed Black men unfavorably but Terrell doesn't mention that, instead highlighting how helpful Frederick Douglass was to Susan B. Anthony and women's suffrage. "Therefore, whenever the women of this country pause long enough to think about the hard fight which had to be waged so as to enable them to enjoy their rights as citizens in this Republic, they should remember the great debt of gratitude they owe to a colored man for the courage he displayed on a crucial occasion in their behalf, when no other man was willing to come to their aid (209-210). It's not all tales of doing 'race work' (although it's the majority of her story aside from her school days), it does have light moments such as when she describes falling in love with her husband, "the course of true love did not always run perfectly smooth, but it always became calm and peaceful after any turbulent eddies that cause it to flow in the wrong direction" (137) but she doesn't mention any serious fights they had which I suppose is indicative of the desire to positively portray Black love. Terrell also manages to make her story quite amusing, whether intentional or not, such as when she talks about her popularity at school; "If I were white, it might be conceited for me to relate this. But I mention these facts to show that, as a colored girl, I was accorded the same treatment at Oberlin College at that time as a white girl under similar circumstances" (71).

Terrell is also delightful because she tends to always stand up to herself in the presence of white people who have wronged her and it's glorious such as when she goes to talk to Commissioner Ross about appointing a Black woman to the DC school board; "Without intending to do so, white people who have the power of placing colored people in responsible positions often appoint individuals who misrepresent their race instead of representing it well, because they are not well enough acquainted with colored people to know whom to select" (163-164), THE SHADE. Too bad none of those colored people she talks about were around to hear it, and how easily this quote could be said of certain people today.

Mary Church Terrell was a remarkable woman and I am so glad she had the foresight to write her story, it is both inspirational and reassuring. Her story shows that she, as a wealthy Black woman, was not an anomaly, nor was she the only Black woman on the speaking circuit, fighting for civi rights and women's suffrage, she is insistent on shining a light on others involved in these battles. I would love to see this book taught at least in women's studies and African American studies classes.

Not a particularly easy read but really fascinating. Mary Church Terrell was so active and involved in so many organisations and fought for equality. Quite an icon. The book is more about her work than about her private life and partly she jumps a little in time and place.

Mary Church Terrell was a member of the elite in Washington D.C. She attended parties, balls, and other events. She dined with wealthy, influential people, both African American and White. She was well educated, with a love for learning. She was eloquent. She was beautiful. She was courageous. She was involved in several Civil Rights organizations, as well as organizations that supported both African American and White women's interests. She criticized the President for his inaction in some instances and his poor actions in others. She wrote many articles thoroughly condemning Jim Crow laws and other injustices against African American people. Her experiences outlined in this book were inspiring and so important to the historical record.

This book was required reading for a class I am taking, but I am glad that I got to read it. I had never heard about this woman before. I also know very little about African American history, which is the point of taking this class. This was a good read.

Biog T325t 1996

I think she is such a good writer!! She just has such a good writing voice and it was an entertaining read, not like a boring list of things that happened to her but a uniquely connected series of memoirs if that makes sense