A group founded in 1909 by civic-minded African American women that promoted social causes soon will be recognized with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker. The N.C. Historical Marker Program is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The marker commemorating the North Carolina Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs will be unveiled Saturday, Aug. 2 at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony at the Palmer Memorial Institute, which is part of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown State Historic Site (6164-6172 Burlington Rd., Gibsonville, N.C.) in Sedalia, is where the founder lived and where many statewide meetings were held.
In 1909, Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, Minnie S. Pearson, Cottie Dancy Moore, Maggie Jones, and Julia M. Warren founded the North Carolina Federation of Negro Women Clubs as an outgrowth of the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. The North Carolina Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs promoted improved moral standards, social development, and political and educational advantages in the home and community. The organization, according to its by-laws, welcomed “any club in the state of North Carolina organized for the purpose of improving the status of women and youth.”
The group’s motto, “Lifting as we climb,” conveys the philosophy that drove generations of women who participated in the Federation’s various clubs throughout the state. Members foster the importance and value of human life and the universal desire for acceptance and worth.
For more information about the historical marker, please visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2024/07/10/north-carolina-federation-colored-womens-clubs-j-127, or call (919) 814-6625
The Highway Historical Marker Program is a collaboration between the N.C. departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Transportation.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.