Terrell, << TEHR uhl, >> Mary Church (1863-1954), joined the struggle to gain equal rights for African Americans in the 1890’s. Terrell remained active in this equal rights movement until she died at age 90, on July 24, 1954.
Mary Church Terrell was born in Memphis on Sept. 23, 1863. Her father was a former slave who became a millionaire through real estate and other business transactions. Mary graduated from Oberlin College in 1884, and then settled in Washington, D.C. She became a member of the Washington school board in 1895, and she helped found the National Association of Colored Women in 1896.
Through most of her career, Mary advised government leaders on racial problems. In 1953, she led a committee that won a suit to end discrimination in Washington hotels, restaurants, buses, and other public facilities.
