15 10 193 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1932-06-22 Death Date 2019-05-14 Occupation Lawyer Activist, Women’s Rights Source of File Attached Hirsh, Kim. "Making it a woman's world." The Record, 8 Aug. 1983, p.9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seham, Phoebe (1932-2019) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Making it a woman's world." The Record, 8 Aug. 1983, p.9 "Amendment awaits action by 3 seats." Courier-Post, 13 July 1980, p.6. "Women's Clubs", The Ridgewood News, 11 Oct. 1978, p.5. “<a href="http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/ber060062">Obituaries in NJ: The Record/Herald News</a>.” Record, 26 May 2019. Description An account of the resource Phoebe Seham was a women's rights activist. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1954. She became the founder and board president of the Englewood Women's Rights Infomation Center. She was also a member of The Advisory Commission on the Status of Women in Bergan County. She was a member of the Women's Rights Committee of the New Jersey Bar Association. She gave numerous lectures in local community centers and clubs about women's rights, violent crimes against women, discrimination, and women's suffrage. Her husband was Martin Charles Seham. She had four children, Amy, Jenny, Lee, and Lucy. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Subject The topic of the resource Activism, Women’s Rights Feminism Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1936 Death Date 2008-07-24 Occupation Barber Business Owner Source of File Attached "Brennon", The Herald News, July 28, 2008, p.B4. Birthplace Cassatt, South Carolina, USA Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Brennon, William E. (1936-2008) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Brennon", The Herald News, 28 July 2008, p.B4. "Wille Brennon, a barber - and a lot more" The Record, 29 July 2008, p. L8. Description An account of the resource Known as "Mr.B," William Brennon was the owner of the popular Brennon's Barber Shop. His wife was Carol E. Taylor. He had five children. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Subject The topic of the resource Businesses, Local African American Businesses https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/bb8f0e793be02bdd96d02952fa8e6bbb.jpg fdc177e7b11be6355be638acaeaf1a0f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1942? Birthplace Qasr Abu Hadi Death Date 2011-10-20 Occupation Politician Military Officer Government Official Source of File Attached <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_Gaddafi">“Muammar Gaddafi.”</a> Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 May 2024. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gaddafi, Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-(1942-2011) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_Gaddafi">“Muammar Gaddafi.”</a> Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 May 2024. Asser, Martin. <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-12688033">“The Muammar Gaddafi Story.”</a> BBC News, BBC, 21 Oct. 2011. Description An account of the resource Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was a Libyian politician. He was the leader of Libya until 2011 when he was assassinated. He came to power in 1969. The revolutionary group he founded overthrew the Western-back Senussi monarchy. His first position was Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republican from 1969 to 1977. Then he served as the Brotherly Leader of the Great Socialist. He believed in Arab nationalism and socialism. He was anti-western capitalism and imperialism. While he claimed to believe that the masses should rule the country, the model of government he created was highly hierarchical which placed his family at the top with unchecked power. He also created numerous social programs and nationalized the oil industry. However, throughout his rule, he was accused of many human rights violations and suppressing dissent. During the Arab Springs in 2011, a civil war broke out with NATO supporting the National Transitional Council which opposed Gaddafi. The protests began in February and Gaddafi sent the army to Benghazi, opening fire on protesters. Both sides in the coming war committed human rights violations, and in June the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his brother-in-law Abdullah Sensussi. He tried to flee but was eventually captured by the Misrata militia and brutally killed, which was videotaped. He married Fathia Nuri but was divorced in 1970, a year after they were married. He then married Safia Farkash. He had ten children, eight sons and two daughters Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Subject The topic of the resource Political Violence Foreign Relations Politics, Global Criminal Courts Military Politics Violence War Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1932-08-28 Death Date 1997-12-07 Occupation Educator Activist, Civil Rights Source of File Attached Szorza, Daniel. "School renamed in memory of Englewood integrationist." The Record, 12 Mar. 1999, p.L-4. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Major, Russell C. (1932-1997) Subject The topic of the resource Activism, Civil Rights Schools, Public Segregation, Schools Description An account of the resource Russell Cameron Major (1932–1997) was a central figure in Englewood, New Jersey’s civil rights history and one of the city’s most persistent advocates for school integration and civic participation. Raised in Englewood during a period of entrenched residential and educational segregation, Major experienced firsthand the realities of a public school system divided along racial lines despite legal mandates for desegregation. In the early 1960s, Major emerged as a leading voice in the movement to integrate Cleveland Elementary School. Working alongside Black and white parents, he helped organize direct action when negotiations stalled, including boycotts and the creation of informal “freedom schools” in private homes. These efforts placed sustained pressure on local officials and ultimately contributed to state intervention ordering Englewood to proceed with integration in 1962—an action that predated many of the most visible national civil rights campaigns. Major’s commitment to integration extended well beyond that initial victory. He served on the Englewood Board of Education from 1975 to 1993, making him one of the longest-serving board members in the city’s history. During his tenure, he consistently argued that integrated schools were essential not only for racial justice but for preparing students to compete in an increasingly interconnected world. Even as white flight, private school enrollment, and regional resistance complicated those goals, Major continued to press for inclusive policies and regional cooperation. Outside the school board, Major was deeply engaged in Englewood’s civic life. A graduate of Allen University in South Carolina and the New Jersey Professional School of Business, he worked in real estate and commercial property management while remaining active in community organizations, including the Bergen County Urban League. Earlier in life, he had been a standout athlete at Dwight Morrow High School and later volunteered as a youth football coach, mentoring young people both on and off the field. Russell Major died in 1997 at the age of 65 after a long illness. In recognition of his impact, Englewood officials ordered city flags lowered to half-staff. He is remembered as a principled, pragmatic leader whose local work mirrored the broader civil rights struggle—demonstrating how sustained community action at the municipal level could produce lasting social change. "Russell C Major in the New Jersey, U.S., Death Index, 1848-1878, 1901-2017." Ancestry. Szorza, Daniel. "School renamed in memory of Englewood integrationist." The Record, 12 Mar. 1999, p.L-4. "Major." The Record, 12 Dec. 1997, p.L-6. Cowen, Richard. "Civil rights leader Russell Major dies." The Record, 9 Dec. 1997, p.L-1, L-10. <div class="element"> <div class="element-text">Partly written by OpenAI. (2026, January, 13). ChatGPT (GPT-5.2.) [Large Language Model] https://chat.openai.com/chat.</div> </div> <div class="element"></div> Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Colman, David Education Race Segregation https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/498a3e1bfd3f339edfd65f9f5c517b58.jpg 81ab7e16d63799625fff9b998a033fe1 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/0629358a78b7f6634cbb3b7ea91609a8.jpg a3d687b4f7ccaa272a45e9dd2d5a7702 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1847-02-14 Birthplace Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England Death Date 1919-07-02 Occupation Activist, Women’s Rights Activist, Women’s Suffrage Spiritual Leader Source of File Attached <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Howard_Shaw">“Anna Howard Shaw.”</a> Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2024. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shaw, Anna Howard (1847-1919) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Howard_Shaw">“Anna Howard Shaw.”</a> Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2024. <a href="http://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/anna-howard-shaw/">“Anna Howard Shaw.”</a> Women of the Hall. Anna Howard Shaw was one of the most prominent leaders of the American women’s suffrage movement, a trained physician, and an ordained minister whose life bridged faith, reform, and national politics. Her career combined intellectual authority, moral argument, and organizational leadership at a moment when women’s political participation was still widely contested. Shaw’s path to the ministry was marked by resistance. Despite persistent opposition to women preaching, she received a local Methodist preacher’s license in 1873. In 1880, she was denied ordination by the Methodist Episcopal Church but was later ordained by the Methodist Protestant Church, allowing her to continue a public religious career that reinforced her suffrage advocacy. Alongside her ministry, Shaw earned a medical degree, further strengthening her standing as a reformer who challenged assumptions about women’s public authority. By the late nineteenth century, Shaw became deeply involved in the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), where she emerged as a nationally recognized speaker and organizer. Encouraged by Susan B. Anthony, she joined the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and played a central role in unifying the divided suffrage movement through the creation of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Shaw later served as NAWSA’s president until her resignation in 1915. In December 1914, Shaw delivered a major public address in Englewood, New Jersey, speaking at the Englewood Theater on Palisade Avenue. Addressing a large local audience, she framed women’s suffrage as both inevitable and urgent in New Jersey, linking women’s exclusion from political power to their lack of voice in government. Speaking during the first year of World War I, Shaw emphasized the contradiction of a political system that depended on women’s labor and sacrifice—whether as nurses, agricultural workers, or industrial laborers—while denying them the right to vote. Her appearance at the Englewood Theater underscored the city’s role as an active site of statewide and national suffrage organizing. During World War I, Shaw rejected militant suffrage tactics, favoring persuasion, institutional reform, and patriotic service. She served as head of the Women’s Committee of the United States Council of National Defense, coordinating women’s wartime work across the country. For her leadership, she became the first woman awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Shaw shared a thirty-year partnership with Lucy Elmina Anthony, a women’s rights activist and the niece of Susan B. Anthony. Lucy served as secretary to both Shaw and her aunt, placing Shaw within the innermost circle of national suffrage leadership and highlighting the personal relationships that sustained the movement. Ware, Susan. <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/vote-carrie-mollie-anna-lucy/">“Carrie & Mollie & Anna & Lucy.”</a> PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 23 Oct. 2020. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Subject The topic of the resource Activism, Women’s Rights Activism, Women’s Suffrage Religion, Christianity Suffrage, Women’s LGBTQ+ Community Religion Social Work Suffrage Women's Rights Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1910-08-24 Birthplace Oslo, Norway Occupation Photographer Activist, Environmental Death Date 1990-04-08 Source of File Attached Corcoran, David. "A Naturalist Fights Against 'Civilization.'" The Record, 29 Apr. 1972, p. A-19. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norsgaard, Campbell (1910-1990) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Corcoran, David. "A Naturalist Fights Against 'Civilization.'" The Record, 29 Apr. 1972, p. A-19. "Conrad C Norsgaard in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007." Ancestry. "Campbell C Norsgaard in the Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2012." Ancestry. "Conrad Norsgaard in the 1950 United States Federal Census." Ancestry. Description An account of the resource Norsgaard was a longtime Englewood resident and well-known nature photographer and conservationist. He fought off various efforts by developers to build roads, swimming pools, community centers, and bridle paths in Flat Rock Brook. He lived on South Woodland Street with his wife, Grace, and a daughter, Melody. Subject The topic of the resource Nature Preservation Activism, Environmental Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Environment https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/75736b27ccca8cf434f96c54364e9661.jpg c51b486c0d5cf2c20e8890cf0a6d6356 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1868-02-23 Birthplace Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA Death Date 1963-08-27 Occupation Activist, Civil Rights Activist, Political Professor Editor Sociologist Civic Leader Author Source of File Attached Holt, Thomas C. <a href="hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/web-dubois">“W. E. B. Du Bois.”</a> The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, 2008. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource DuBois, William Edward Burghardt (1868-1963) DuBois, W.E.B. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"> <div class="description full"></div> </div> <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"></div> Subject The topic of the resource Activism, African American Activism, Civil Rights National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Description An account of the resource W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) was one of the most influential African American scholars, writers, historians, sociologists, and civil rights activists of the twentieth century, and a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Trained in history, philosophy, and sociology, Du Bois helped establish the intellectual foundations of modern Black Studies and played a central role in shaping early twentieth-century Black political thought. From 1892 to 1894, Du Bois pursued graduate study in Germany, where he was deeply influenced by rigorous historical methods and philosophical inquiry. His later work combined empirical sociology with moral critique, most famously articulated in The Souls of Black Folk (1903). Throughout his career, Du Bois emphasized the importance of education, historical consciousness, and organized political action as tools for racial advancement. Du Bois was also deeply engaged in national and international Black organizing networks. His correspondence with Alexander Louis Jackson, a civil rights activist and civic leader originally from Englewood, New Jersey, illustrates the close collaboration between Black intellectuals and community-based leaders during the interwar period. Letters between the two men reveal an ongoing exchange of ideas, logistical coordination, and mutual respect. Jackson regularly sought Du Bois’s guidance on political developments in Chicago, Black electoral strategy, and race relations, while also inviting him to speak at youth conferences and civic gatherings sponsored by organizations Jackson helped lead. In March 1926, Jackson—then chairman of the Brooklyn Boys Work Council—invited Du Bois to address the Brooklyn Older Boys Conference held in Englewood, New Jersey. Although Du Bois was unable to attend due to travel commitments, Jackson reported back on the conference’s success, emphasizing the urgent need for inspirational leadership to address what social reformers called the “boys problem” of delinquency and educational dropout. This exchange highlights Du Bois’s reputation as a moral and intellectual authority whose presence was seen as transformative for young people. Their correspondence also situates Du Bois within broader Black institutional life beyond the NAACP. Jackson kept Du Bois informed about developments at the Chicago Defender, the National Urban League, Provident Hospital, and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, demonstrating how Du Bois’s ideas circulated through Black newspapers, hospitals, schools, and youth organizations. In turn, Du Bois relied on trusted figures like Jackson for first-hand political intelligence, particularly regarding Black voting behavior and race relations in northern cities. Du Bois helped found the Niagara Movement in 1905, advocating full civil and political rights at a time when accommodationist strategies dominated Black leadership. In 1910 he became editor of The Crisis, the NAACP’s influential journal, using it to promote civil rights, Pan-Africanism, and cultural expression. During and after World War I, Du Bois became increasingly involved in peace activism and international organizing, later embracing socialist and Marxist ideas as tools to combat racial and economic inequality. Political tensions eventually led Du Bois to part ways with the NAACP, though he returned in 1944. In the Cold War era, his outspoken support for socialism and the Progressive Party again placed him at odds with mainstream civil rights leadership. In 1961, at the age of ninety-three, Du Bois formally joined the Communist Party USA and soon after relocated to Ghana, where he spent the final years of his life. Du Bois’s personal life included two marriages: first to Nina Gomer in 1896, and later to Shirley Graham in 1951. Graham, a writer and activist in her own right, shared his commitment to Pan-Africanism and political struggle. The surviving letters between Du Bois and Alexander Louis Jackson underscore an often-overlooked dimension of Du Bois’s career: his sustained engagement with local Black leaders who translated national ideas into grassroots action. Together, their correspondence reflects the dense networks of cooperation that helped sustain Black political, intellectual, and civic life in the early twentieth century. In December, 1930, W. E. B. Du Bois traveled from New York to Englewood in December 1930 to address the Englewood Woman’s Club, the occasion connected suburban Bergen County to Harlem’s intellectual and cultural world. His appearance reflected both his national stature and the willingness of local civic institutions to host one of the country’s leading Black scholars at a moment when debates over race, citizenship, and democracy were deeply contested. <div class="flex flex-col text-sm pb-25"> <div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"> <div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"> <div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"> <div class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&]:mt-1"> <div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"> <div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"> Du Bois spoke on “The Contribution of the Negro to the American Race,” a subject that went to the heart of his life’s work. He directly challenged the persistent assumption that Black Americans were a burden to the nation. Instead, he argued that the United States had been profoundly shaped — economically and politically — by African American labor, intellect, and resilience. The nation’s agricultural wealth and industrial expansion, he maintained, could not be understood without acknowledging the foundational work of enslaved and formerly enslaved people. American prosperity was not separate from Black contribution; it was intertwined with it. Beyond labor, Du Bois emphasized invention and modernization. African American innovators, he explained, had played critical roles in industrial advancement. Machinery developed by Black inventors had transformed manufacturing processes and contributed to the country’s export economy. These examples were meant to dismantle the notion of marginality. African Americans were not simply participants in American life; they were architects of its growth. The program extended this argument into the realm of culture. Elizabeth Sinkford, a classically trained soprano based at 405 Edgecombe Avenue in New York City and associated with leading Black educational institutions, performed as part of the afternoon’s event. Du Bois arranged transportation for the journey to and from Englewood, ensuring that Sinkford and her accompanist could travel with him. Her presence underscored the theme of cultivated achievement, pairing scholarly argument with artistic excellence. Together, the lecture and the musical performance presented a unified statement. Du Bois articulated the intellectual and industrial contributions of African Americans, while Sinkford’s performance embodied cultural refinement and accomplishment. In Englewood that day, Black achievement was not abstract — it was demonstrated, voiced, and made visible. The event stands as a significant moment in the town’s civic history. Harlem’s intellectual and artistic leadership entered a suburban club setting and asserted a powerful claim about national identity: that African Americans were central to the making of the United States — builders of its wealth, contributors to its democracy, and shapers of its culture. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Letter to A. L. Jackson expressing condolences, July 17, 1928. Typed letter, correspondence, A. L. Jackson Papers, Chicago, Illinois. Letter to A. L. Jackson requesting political analysis of the Chicago mayoral campaign, April 18, 1927. Typed letter, correspondence, A. L. Jackson Papers, Chicago, Illinois. Letter to A. L. Jackson enclosing first bulletin of the Pan-African Congress and outlining travel plans, ca. 1921. Typed letter, correspondence, Pan-African Congress records, New York City. Arthur L. Jackson to W. E. B. Du Bois regarding the Brooklyn Older Boys Conference held in Englewood, New Jersey, March 1, 1926. Typed letter, correspondence, Arthur L. Jackson Papers, Brooklyn, New York. Letter to A. L. Jackson enclosing first bulletin of the Pan-African Congress, May 26, 1921. Typed letter, correspondence, Pan-African Congress records, New York City. Holt, Thomas C. <a href="https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/web-dubois">“W. E. B. Du Bois.”</a> The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, 2008. <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"> <div class="description full">Partly written by OpenAI. (2026, February, 1). ChatGPT (GPT-5.2.) [Large Language Model] https://chat.openai.com/chat.</div> </div> Activism African American Communism Politics Race Socialism Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1895 Death Date 1986 Occupation Politician Government Official Source of File Attached Diller, Wendy. "The birth of direct dialing." The Record, 11 Nov. 1986, p.D-10. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Denning, Melvin Leslie (1895-1896) Description An account of the resource Melvin Leslie Denning was the mayor of Englewood from 1948 to 1953. He was the first to use the direct distance dialing system to make a long-distance call. He was born in 1895 and died in 1986. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Englewood,_New_Jersey">Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey.</a>” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 July 2023. Diller, Wendy. "The birth of direct dialing." The Record, 11 Nov. 1986, p.D-10. Subject The topic of the resource Politics, Englewood Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Politics https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/d25301c8e537a5d02ad351280731a00e.jpg cac3ba49551ea5297596e771da0f8832 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1875-07-10 Birthplace Mayesville, South Carolina, USA Death Date 1955-05-18 Occupation Activist, Civil Rights Activist, Education Activist, Political Activist, Women’s Rights Educator Source of File Attached Michals, Debra (Ed.). "<a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mary-mcleod-bethune">Mary McLeod Bethune</a>." National Women’s History Museum. <div></div> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Bethune, Mary Jane Mcleod (1875-1955) Description An account of the resource Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955) was one of the most influential African American educators, civic leaders, and advocates for democracy in twentieth-century United States history. Born on July 10, 1875, near Mayesville, South Carolina, to parents who had been enslaved, Bethune grew up during Reconstruction and came of age at a time when Black advancement faced entrenched racial barriers. Education became both her vocation and her philosophy—a means of individual uplift and a foundation for collective freedom. In 1904, Bethune founded a small school for Black girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, an institution that grew through persistence, fundraising, and national support into what became Bethune-Cookman University. As an educator and administrator, she emphasized academic rigor, vocational preparation, moral discipline, and civic responsibility. Her success made her one of the most respected figures in Black education and a visible symbol of African American self-determination. Bethune’s influence extended well beyond the classroom. She emerged as a national leader among Black women, serving as president of the National Association of Colored Women and later founding the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) in 1935. Through the NCNW, she united dozens of women’s organizations across the country to advocate for civil rights, educational access, labor protections, and women’s leadership at the local, national, and international levels. Her reputation for principled leadership brought her into federal service during the New Deal era. Appointed Director of the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration, Bethune became the highest-ranking African American woman in the federal government. In that role, she worked to ensure Black youth were included in education, training, and employment programs. She also served as a trusted adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and was part of the informal network later known as the “Black Cabinet.” In 1945, she represented the United States as a delegate to the founding conference of the United Nations, reinforcing her stature as an international advocate for democracy and human rights. Despite this record, Bethune’s later years were shaped by the anxieties of the Cold War. In 1952, she became the center of a nationally publicized controversy in Englewood, New Jersey that revealed how anti-communist hysteria could be turned against civil-rights leadership. Bethune had been invited to speak at an Englewood public school under the sponsorship of a local American Legion auxiliary. Shortly before the scheduled appearance, however, the Englewood Board of Education denied the permit after pressure from the Englewood Anti-Communist League, led by Frederick Cartwright, which objected to her appearance on the grounds that her name had been associated—without proof—with organizations later labeled “subversive.” The decision provoked immediate and widespread condemnation. Civil-rights leaders, clergy, educators, women’s organizations, and national advocacy groups denounced the action as an attack on free speech and a dangerous misuse of guilt by association. Bethune was barred from the school auditorium but still spoke in Englewood at the historic Bethany Presbyterian Church, to an overflow audience, sharing the platform with Walter White of the NAACP. Rather than presenting herself as wronged, Bethune warned of the corrosive effects of fear and urged Americans to defend democratic principles in moments of political pressure. As protests mounted nationwide, prominent organizations demanded a formal apology from Englewood officials. Bethune submitted a signed written statement emphatically denying that she had ever knowingly affiliated with the Communist Party or participated in any organization with subversive aims. Letters from educators, religious leaders, public officials, and citizens across the country attested to her integrity, patriotism, and lifelong service to the nation. Following review of this documentation, the Englewood Board of Education reversed its decision. In late May 1952, Bethune returned to Englewood and spoke in the same school building from which she had earlier been excluded. She made clear that she had not come to vindicate herself but to reaffirm the values of fairness, restraint, and democratic courage. The episode became widely cited as a cautionary example of McCarthy-era excess and a testament to Bethune’s moral authority. Mary McLeod Bethune died on May 18, 1955, but her legacy endures through the institutions she built, the generations she educated, and the democratic ideals she defended. The Englewood controversy stands as one of the final public chapters of her life—a reminder that even the most accomplished champions of democracy were not immune to suspicion, and that the defense of freedom often requires perseverance in the face of fear. “Dr. Bethune Gets Warm Welcome in Her Second Appearance Here.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), June 17, 1952, p. 11. “Negro Educator Speaks Monday: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune to Address Henry Douglas Auxiliary.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), June 13, 1952, p. 4. “Board’s Banning of Mrs. Bethune Draws Protest.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), May 22, 1952, p. 13. “Board to Permit Bethune Talks on Basis of Denial of Red Ties.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), May 22, 1952, p. 12. “Mayor Applauds Board’s Action in Handling Speech Controversy.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), May 22, 1952, p. 13. Stanley, Frank L. “Now Mrs. Bethune.” The Louisville Defender, May 7, 1952, p. 16. “Mrs. Bethune and the Red Leadership.” The Chicago Defender, May 10, 1952, p. 10. “Women the Country Over Are Incensed!” The Jackson Advocate (Jackson, MS), May 10, 1952, p. 4. “Bethune Controversy Stirs Englewood.” Tampa Bay Times, May 27, 1952, p. 27. “Three Selected: Englewood World Federalists Choose Delegates for Assembly.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), June 17, 1952, p. 11. “School Integration Still Posing Knotty Problem for Englewood.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), February 1, 1963, p. 5. Rowan, Meyer. “Englewood Apology Due Mrs. Bethune.” The Call (Kansas City, MO), May 9, 1952, p. 1. “‘I’m Not a Red,’ Says Mrs. Bethune.” The Afro-American (Baltimore, MD), May 3, 1952, p. 2. “Barred as Legion Speaker, Mrs. Bethune Insists ‘I’m Not a Red.’” The Afro-American (Baltimore, MD), May 10, 1952, p. 18. “Friends Rally to Her Side.” The Afro-American (Baltimore, MD), May 10, 1952, p. 18. “Dr. Ferebee Protests Action in Englewood.” The Afro-American (Baltimore, MD), May 10, 1952, p. 18. “Aid Mrs. Bethune.” The Afro-American (Baltimore, MD), May 10, 1952, p. 18. “Mrs. Bethune at Last to Speak at Englewood.” The Call (Kansas City, MO), May 9, 1952, p. 4. “Board to Permit Bethune Talks on Basis of Denial of Red Ties.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), May 22, 1952, p. 12. “Dr. Bethune Gets Warm Welcome in Her Second Appearance Here.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), June 17, 1952, p. 11. “Mrs. Bethune Speaks After Being Barred.” Daytona Beach Morning Journal, June 16, 1952, p. 1. “Englewood Incident Draws National Protest.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ), April 30, 1952, p. 56. <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"> <div class="description full">Partly written by OpenAI. (2026, February, 1). ChatGPT (GPT-5.2.) [Large Language Model] https://chat.openai.com/chat.</div> </div> <div class="resource-meta media-object-section"></div> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Subject The topic of the resource Activism, Civil Rights Universities Activism, Women's Suffrage Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ludder, Rachelle Activism African American Civil Rights Education Politics Slavery Social Work Suffrage Women's Rights Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource People People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Birth Date 1908? Birthplace Macon, Georgia, USA Death Date 1976-08 Occupation Teacher Business Owner Source of File Attached "Margaret Butler, 68." The Record, August 23, 1976, p.2. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Butler, Margaret (1908?-1976) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "Margaret Butler, 68." The Record, August 23, 1976, p.2. Subject The topic of the resource Blind Community Public Schools Description An account of the resource Margaret Butler was an economics teacher in Englewood. She taught the fifth grade in Harlem and home economics at Dwight Morrow High School. Butler became blind in 1945 and was an instructor at the Community House Social Service Federation in Englewood, teaching braille. She also founded Shining Light, an organization to help the blind community. She was a member of numerous organizations, including the American Foundation of the Blind, the National Council of Negro Women of Bergen County, the W.C. Handy Foundation of the Blind, and the New Jersey Commission of the Blind. She was awarded the Lydia Hayes Foundation Achievement Award in 1951. Butler attended St. Cecilia's Roman Catholic Church. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Ludder, Rachelle Businesses Disabilities Education