SPEAKER_00: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica. In case you're just tuning in, here's the deal. Every weekday we're telling the stories of women from around the world and throughout history who you may not know about but definitely should. Each month is themed, and this month we're going back to school, talking about women who changed the world of education. Today's educator was a pioneer in both education and sports. She shaped the lives of many students throughout her career and would become the first Dean of Women at Howard University. While changing the world of education, she also managed to be a tennis champion and a social justice activist. We're talking about Lucy Digs-Slow. Lucy was born on July 4, 1885, in Berryville, Virginia. She was one of seven children and lost both of her parents when she was just six years old. Lucy and her siblings were raised by an aunt who didn't believe in what she called playing in the mud, but felt strongly about education. Lucy's aunt tutored the children, until when Lucy was 13, the family moved to Baltimore for access to better education. There, Lucy enrolled in segregated public schools and graduated in 1904, second in her class. She worked to support herself through college and was told it wasn't customary for a woman to do such a thing. Her response? Well, I'll be a pioneer. Lucy also ended up getting a scholarship, starting her first semester at Howard University in 1904. While at Howard, Lucy became one of the founding members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first Greek sorority for Black women. It's the same sorority that Vice President Kamala Harris would later join. After Lucy graduated, as valedictorian no less, she started working as a teacher at a high school in Baltimore. While teaching, she also traveled back and forth to New York. She got her master's degree in English from Columbia University in 1915. Somehow Lucy also had time to maintain a successful tennis career. In 1917, at the first American Tennis Association tournament, Lucy won the Women's Singles competition. With that, she became the first Black woman in America to win a national sports title. Lucy was also deeply involved in the community in Washington, D.C. She was a chair of the NAACP, and she fought for Black women to be part of the suffrage movement. By 1919, Lucy was the principal of the first junior high school for Black students in Washington, D.C. There, she created the first integrated training program for teachers, supported by Columbia University. In 1922, Lucy was hired as an English professor and dean of women at her alma mater, Howard University. In the 1920s and 30s, Howard and many other institutions were run by men. The climate was hostile to Black women in academia. As dean of women, Lucy was mindful of the limitations women and specifically Black women faced. She cared deeply about gender issues, and her teachers called her, instinctively, a feminist. Lucy felt strongly that her students should be trained to be modern leaders. The Black women needed training in economics, government, and community organization. Lucy encouraged students to get involved in local community affairs and advocated for a women's campus with appropriate housing and mentorship. She also sought to give guidance when it came to choosing a career or vocation. Lucy founded an annual women's dinner at Howard. Men were invited that they had to stay in the balcony as observers. And of course, there were male waiters. At these dinners, there were lively conversations, singing, speeches, and pervasive feelings of solidarity and joy. In 1926, when Mordecai Wyatt Johnson became Howard's first Black president, things shifted for Lucy. He refused her a pay raise and drained support from her department. Through it all, Lucy worked tirelessly in her role until her death. Lucy never married, but for the last 15 years of her life, she lived with a local teacher and playwright, Mary Burrell. They never spoke publicly about their relationship or sexuality. Lucy died on October 21, 1937 of cardiovascular-related kidney disease. She was 52 years old. All month, we're talking about women who changed the world of education. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our newsletter, Womanica Weekly. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Encyclopedia Womanica. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow! This month of Encyclopedia Womanica is proudly supported by UNC Greensboro. Founded as a women's college in 1891, UNC Greensboro presents She Can, We Can, Beyond the Women's Suffrage Centennial. Through performances, films, lectures, and concerts, UNCG examines how the decisions from our past affect us today. Join the experience and learn more at shecanwecan.uncg.edu.
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