Just Another Southern Town: Mary Church Terrell and the Struggle for Racial Justice in the Nation's Capital

377 Pages·2016·2.62 MB·English

by  Joan Quigley

Just Another southern town

Just Another
southern
town
mary church terrell and the
struggle for racial justice in
the nation’s capital
JoAn Quigley
1
1
oxford university Press is a department of the university of oxford. it furthers
the university’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education
by publishing worldwide. oxford is a registered trade mark of oxford university
Press in the uK and certain other countries.
Published in the united states of America by oxford university Press
198 Madison Avenue, new york, ny 10016, united states of America
© Joan Quigley 2016
All rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the
prior permission in writing of oxford university Press, or as expressly permitted
by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction
rights organization. inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the
above should be sent to the rights Department, oxford university Press, at the
address above.
you must not circulate this work in any other form
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.
library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Quigley, Joan.
Just another southern town : Mary Church terrell and the struggle for racial justice in
the nation’s capital / Joan Quigley.
pages cm
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBn 978-0-19-937151-8 — isBn 978-0-19-937152-5 — isBn 978-0-19-937153-2
1. terrell, Mary Church, 1863–1954. 2. African American women civil rights workers—Biography.
3. Civil rights workers—united states—Biography. 4. African Americans—Biography.
5. African Americans—Civil rights—history. 6. African Americans—segregation—
washington (D.C.)—history—20th century. 7. washington (D.C.)—race relations.
8. washington (D.C.)—Biography. i. title. ii. title: Mary Church terrell and
the struggle for racial justice in the nation’s capital.
e185.97.t47Q54 2016
323.092—dc23 [B] 2015009744
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the united states of America
on acid-free paper
Printed by edwards Brothers, usA
For Martha

Besides, you ain’t going north, not the real north. you going
to washington. it’s just another southern town.
—ralph ellison, Invisible Man

Contents
Prologue: January 27, 1950 3
1. On to the Battlefield 20
2. The Greatest Woman That We Have 44
3. They Come Standing Erect 70
4. An Example for All the World 92
5. The Radicalization of Mary Church Terrell 114
6. Segregation Will Go 143
7. This Thing Can Be Licked 164
8. A Bigger Step Is in Order 186
9. Eat Anywhere 208
epilogue: Until Full and Final Victory 232
Acknowledgments 241
Notes 245
Note on Sources 330
Selected Bibliography 333
Index 337