Lugenia Burns Hope
| Lugenia Burns Hope | |
|---|---|
John and Lugenia Burns Hope
|
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| Born |
February 19, 1871 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Died | August 14, 1947 (aged 76) Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Occupation | Political activist |
| Spouse(s) | John Hope |
| Relatives | Leah Hope (great-great granddaughter) |
Lugenia Burns Hope (February 19, 1871, St. Louis, Missouri – August 14, 1947, Nashville, Tennessee), was a social reformer whose Neighborhood Union and other community service organizations improved the quality of life for blacks in Atlanta, Georgia, and served as a model for the future Civil Rights Movement.
Throughout her youth, Lugenia Burns worked for various charitable organizations, inspiring a lifelong interest in social outreach work. Between 1890 and 1893, she studied at the Chicago Art Institute, the Chicago School of Design (now also part of the Art Institute of Chicago), and the Chicago Business College. Lugenia Burns married John Hope in 1897 and moved with him to Atlanta when he joined the faculty of the Atlanta Baptist College (now Morehouse College); he was later appointed the institution's president in 1906. With the help of Morehouse students, she surveyed local area residents about their needs for community development projects, which eventually led to the college providing day care, kindergarten, and recreational programs. Her community involvement led her in 1908 to create the Neighborhood Union, the first woman-run social welfare agency for African Americans in Atlanta, which provided medical, recreational, employment, and educational services and became known for its community building and race and gender activism. Hope served as head of its Board of Managers until 1936.
Because only white soldiers were served by the United Service Organization's entertainment programs in World War II, the Neighborhood Union ran YWCA War Work Councils to provide similar services to the Black community. Their success led to Lugenia Hope coordinating a US-wide network of Hostess Houses that provided services ranging from recreational programs to relocation counseling to black and Jewish soldiers and their families.
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Wikipedia