Presents



Black Women, World War I, and Washington, D.C


There is no more fitting monument to the determination and hard work of black women in WW1 era Washington than the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA..

When the war began, the "colored" YWCA as it was known, was bursting at the seams in a small building at 429 T St. NW. And bursting at the seams accurately describes what was happening at what was then the only YWCA for blacks not only in terms of a building it had outgrown but also in terms of its mission As Washington's wartime population swelled, the black YWCA clearly had to go beyond its original mandate to provide better lodging for black women in the city. In cooperation with the Anthony Bowen YMCA on 12th Street, NW, it sought to deal with the challenge of thousands of African American soldiers, sailors, and job-seekers flooding into a town where racial segregation was rife, adequate accommodations few, and opportunities for honest black folks to get into trouble bewilderingly plentiful.



Above Photot: A group of African American War women of the New Orleans Chapter of the American Red Cross.



Above photo: African American sailors enjoying a few hours of "liberty" at the American Red Cross Headquarters in New Orleans.


But black women like Anna Julia Cooper, Frances Boyce, Fannie M. Clair, and Emma Merritt had built an organization that was the epitome of efficiency, self-reliance, and resourcefulness that was cited as a model for the nation. Despite the fact the local white YWCA steadfastly refused to affiliate with these black women, the War Work Council in 1918 issued them $209,000 to start the construction of this newer and larger building. Although wartime shortages delayed its construction, on December 19, 1920 the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA at 9th and Rhode Island Avenue, NW was dedicated "to the Glory of God" and "in service for our young women."

Photo on left: Women transporting tan bark to be used in connection with tanning leather during war time











This has been another Sketch in Color, I'm C.R. Gibbs
Copyright 2001





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