Born: April 11, 1865 (Brooklyn, New York)
Biography:
Mary White Ovington was an American suffragist, journalist, and co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Born on April 11, 1865, in Brooklyn, New York, Ovington was raised in a family that actively supported women’s rights and had been involved in the anti-slavery movement. Her grandmother attended the Connecticut congregation of Samuel Joseph May, a prominent abolitionist.
Ovington received her education at the Packer Collegiate Institute and later attended Radcliffe College. It was during her time at college that she became interested in the civil rights movement. In 1890, she was inspired after hearing Frederick Douglass speak at a church in Brooklyn. This event marked the beginning of her involvement in the campaign for civil rights.
In 1903, Ovington attended a speech by Booker T. Washington at the Social Reform Club, which further fueled her passion for the cause. The following year, she met Ida B. Wells while delivering Christmas presents to Wells’ sister’s children. Appalled by the living conditions of the children, she decided to work with Wells to bring attention to the issue and force the city to improve the tenements.
In 1895, Ovington played a significant role in founding the Greenpoint Settlement in Brooklyn. She was appointed as the head of the project in the following year. Ovington remained in this position until 1904 when she was appointed a fellow of the Greenwich House Committee on Social Investigations. During her time with the committee, she conducted extensive research on employment and housing problems in black Manhattan. It was during these investigations that she met W.E.B. Du Bois and the founding members of the Niagara Movement, a civil rights organization.
In 1905, Ovington joined the Socialist Party of America, influenced by the ideas of William Morris. It was within the Socialist Party that she met influential figures such as A. Philip Randolph, Floyd Dell, Max Eastman, and Jack London. Ovington believed that racial problems were as much a matter of class as they were of race, and she expressed these views through her writing. She contributed to journals and newspapers such as The Masses, New York Evening Post, and the New York Call. Her work also influenced the content of Ray Stannard Baker’s book, Following the Color Line, which was published in 1908.
On September 3, 1908, Ovington came across an article written by Socialist William English Walling in The Independent. The article, titled Race War in the North, described a race riot in Springfield, Illinois, that targeted black residents and resulted in deaths and destruction. Ovington responded to the article by reaching out to Walling and meeting with him and social worker Dr. Henry Moskowitz. Together, they decided to launch a campaign by issuing a call for a national conference on the civil and political rights of African-Americans. This conference took place on February 12, 1909, the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and marked the birth of the National Negro Committee, which later became the NAACP.
Throughout her life, Ovington remained active in the fight for civil rights. She continued to work with the NAACP and advocated for the rights of African-Americans, particularly in areas of education and employment. Her dedication to social justice and equality made her a prominent figure in the suffrage and civil rights movements of the early 20th century.