EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; MARIA BALDWIN P/24

                                                                                    Please read Part One HERE

In this post I will continue to focus on a woman named Maria Baldwin. She lived from 1856 - 1922. Maria also became a member and later secretary of the Banneker Society, a local African American debate club. In meetings, Maria read many of her literature and history papers. 

In 1880, she opened her home to Boston's Black intellectuals and social activists. Maria offered weekly readings and discussions to Black students studying nearby Harvard University. Not welcome in Harvard's study spaces, these Black students found a safe intellectual haven in Maria's home.

In the 1890s, Maria co-founded the nationally influential and innovative Woman' Era Club. She worked alongside the club's other founding mothers: Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, Eliza Gardner, Arianna Sparrow. She and the other women focused on what they considered their generation's obligation to work for all African American causes: the anti-lynching movement, voting rights for women, and education and employment opportunities. Maria supported the club's purpose, using her great skill in public speaking and writing to deliver presentations and publish articles. 

Read Part Twenty-Five HERE