Martha B. Briggs

Martha Beatrice Briggs was an African American educator who lived from 1838 to 1889.[1][2] She was born and educated in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where she taught formerly enslaved men and women to read and write.[1][2] In 1869, she moved to Washington, DC, where she taught and served as a principal at Anthony Bowen public school until 1873,[2] when she began work at Howard University.[1] At Howard, she trained teachers and taught math.[1] In 1879, she was also hired to serve as principal of the Miner Normal School.[1][2] She stepped down from Miner Normal in 1883, but continued to work for Howard, where she served as principal of the Howard Normal Department until her death in 1889.[2] In 1920, the Martha Briggs Educational Club was formed to honor her legacy. The club awards scholarships to New Bedford students of color pursuing higher education.[3]

Early life

Martha Beatrice Briggs was born to a black abolitionist family in New Bedford, Massachusetts.[3] She was the first woman of color to graduate from her high school.[4] Her first teaching experience was in her father's home, tutoring formerly enslaved men and women, many of whom had escaped enslavement through the Underground Railroad. Her reputation as a teacher grew, and she was also hired to teach in small home-based schools in the region.[1]

Career

In 1869, Briggs moved to Washington, DC, where she quickly became both teacher and principal at the Anthony Bowen public school, which permitted children of color to attend.[4] In 1873, Howard University hired her to teach in their mathematics and teacher preparation programs.[1][2] She also served as principal of the Miner Normal School from 1879 until 1883.[5] Briggs was the first woman of color to serve as principal of Miner Normal, and a Board of Education Report described her as: "a born teacher, and her work showed those qualities of head and heart that have made her name famous in the annals of education in the character of the graduates."[6][5]

Briggs stepped down from her position with the Miner School to work exclusively for Howard University in 1883, suffering from poor health.[4] She remained principal of the Howard Normal Department until her death in 1889.[2][7] A personnel roster for Howard lists her degree as D.D..[7] She advocated for vocational as well as liberal arts education for people of color, and was elected president of the Industrial Institute Association of Washington, D.C. shortly before her death.[4]

Legacy

After her death on March 28, 1889,[3] a group of citizens, led by Frederick Douglass,[3] successfully petitioned that a DC school building be named the 'Martha B. Briggs Building' after her.[4][1] A plaque was placed at the Howard University Chapel in her memory, with the inscription: "Her works do follow her."[4][3] In 1920, a group of educators in New Bedford created the Martha Briggs Educational Club and student aid fund in her honor.[3] In 2009, the club awarded $6000 in scholarships to college-bound minority students.[8] In 1935, Briggs' former students gathered to honor her legacy as part of founders' day celebrations at Miner Teachers College.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 New Bedford Historical Society. ""Martha B. Briggs"". New Bedford Historical Society.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Iturralde, Lucilla; Jones, Adrienne. "Notable Black American Women, Book 2".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blake, Lee. ""Martha Bailey Briggs"". New Bedford Whaling Museum.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Scruggs, Lawson Andrew (1893). "Women of Distinction: Remarkable in Works and Invincible in Character".
  5. 1 2 Board of Commissioners (1905). Annual Report of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia.
  6. ↑ Wormley, G. Smith (April 1932). "Educators of the First Half Century of Public Schools of the District of Columbia". The Journal of Negro History. 17 (2): 124–140. JSTOR 2714463.
  7. 1 2 Dyson, Walter (1941). Howard University, the capstone of negro education : a history. Howard University.
  8. ↑ ""Martha Briggs Educational Club awards scholarships"". South Coast Today.
  9. ↑ "Miner Students Honor Founder: Wilkinson Speaks at Rites Held at College". The Washington Post. March 10, 1935.
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