HERSTORY
Black Victorians were seen as early as 1839 in England. Intelligent, well-educated, and well-dressed the Black Victorians were Black women who followed the fashion ideals of white society while still maintaining the Black cultural traditions. This trend occurred in both England and the United States. Sara Forbes Bonetta, an African princess, became Queen Victoria’s goddaughter and was viewed as the ultimate Black Victorian socialite.
In 1909, the Georgia State Board of Nurse Examiners did not allow people of color to take the state licensing exam. A nurse by training and serving as hospital superintendent, Ludie Clay Andrews began legal proceedings against the board regarding this restriction. This persisted for over 10 years. The board offered to license her alone as an "exceptional individual," but she refused unless all interested people of color were allowed. She succeeded in her effort in 1920.
Evelyn J. Frazier’s groundbreaking contributions to the cultural, civic, economic, and political life of Atlanta began in the mid-1930s. Evelyn rose to local and national prominence through her business, Frazier's Café Society, which she owned with her husband, Luther Frazier. A dreamer whose primary mission was to improve life for Colored people, Evelyn created avenues for community and civic engagement.
CLARA ANN HOWARD
Clara Ann Howard was the only daughter of nine children born to King Howard and Mary Ann Howard in Greenville, Georgia. Her father was born into slavery and bought his freedom before emancipation, was literate, and a skilled carriage maker. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Clara was one of the first students to attend Spelman Seminary and was valedictorian of the Class of 1887. She taught school in Atlanta after college. In 1890, she joined the Women’s Baptist Foreign Missionary Society and was stationed at Lukunga in the Congo for the next five years. Howard was the second Spelman graduate to go to the Congo. While in the Congo she ran an orphanage, taught school, and ran a printing office with her Spelman sister.
