Berryville in Clarke County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lucy Diggs Slowe
(4 Jul. 1883 21 Oct. 1837)
Photographed By J. J. Prats, June 24, 2017
1. Lucy Diggs Slowe Marker
Lucy Slowe, educator, was born in Berryville.
In 1908, while attending Howard University,
she became a founding member of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority, the first Greek letter organization
for African American women, and was elected
its first president. In 1917 Slowe won the
national championship in women's singles at the
segregated American Tennis Association's inaugural
tournament. During her career as a public
school teacher and principal, president of
the National Association of College Women,
English professor at Howard University, and
Howard's first Dean of Women (1921-1937), Slowe
worked to combat gender inequities and to
prepare African American women for leadership.Erected 2017 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number J-43.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Sports • Women. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Milton Valley Cemetery (a few steps from this marker); The Schools of Josephine City (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Josephine City (approx. 0.4 miles away); Berryville (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Berryville (approx. 0.6 miles away); Benjamin Berry (approx. 0.6 miles away); Stewardship & Conservation (approx. 0.6 miles away); Josephine School Community Museum & The African-American Experience (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berryville.
Also see . . . Wikipedia Entry. “After earning her M.A. she returned to Washington, DC to teach. Because the District was run as part of the Federal government, African American teachers in the public schools were paid on the same scale as whites. The system attracted outstanding teachers, especially for Dunbar High School, the academic high school for African Americans. In 1919, the District of Columbia asked Lucy Slowe to create the first junior high school in its system for blacks and then appointed her principal. She led the school until
Photographed By J. J. Prats, June 24, 2017
2. Lucy Diggs Slowe and Milton Valley Cemetery Markers
Courtesy of Alpha Kappa Alpha via Wikipedia Commons
3. Lucy Diggs Slowe (1885–1937)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 24, 2019. It was originally submitted on June 25, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 624 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 25, 2017, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
