Elizabeth Ross Haynes (1883–1953) was an African American social worker, sociologist, and author. She wrote the book ''Unsung Heroes'' about African Americans and their achievements.

Biography

Elizabeth Ross was born on July 31, 1883, in

Mount Willing, Alabama Mount Willing is an unincorporated community in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States. It lies at an elevation of . Notable people * Thomas Hinman Moorer (1912–2004), naval admiral * John Lee (blues musician), John Lee (1915–1977), cou ...

to formerly enslaved parents Henry and Mary (''née'' Carnes) Ross. She was valedictorian of her class at the State Normal School of Montgomery. She won a scholarship to

Fisk University Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...

and received her AB from there in 1903. From 1905 to 1907 she summered in Chicago, attending graduate school at the University of Chicago. In 1908 she became the first black national secretary of the

Young Women's Christian Association The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

(YWCA). She married sociologist

George Edmund Haynes George Edmund Haynes (May 11, 1880 – January 8, 1960) was an American sociology scholar and federal civil servant, a co-founder and first executive director of the National Urban League, serving 1911 to 1918.

in 1910 and had a son, George Jr., in 1912. She volunteered at what would become the

United States Women's Bureau The United States Women's Bureau (WB) is an agency of the United States government within the United States Department of Labor. The Women's Bureau works to create parity for women in the labor force by conducting research and policy analysis, to ...

and became a domestic service secretary for the

United States Employment Service The US Employment Service (ES) is the national system of public employment offices, managed by state workforce agencies and their localities, and funded by the Department of Labor. It is supervised by the Employment and Training Administration and ...

. In 1919, with Elizabeth Carter and

Mary Church Terrell Mary Terrell (born Mary Church; September 23, 1863 – July 24, 1954) was an American civil rights activist, journalist, teacher and one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. She taught in the Latin Department at the M St ...

, she petitioned the International Congress of Working Women to offer programs relevant to black women. She wrote the 1921 book ''Unsung Heroes'' which details African-American lives and achievements. Haynes pursued her master's degree at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

where her thesis was "Two Million Negro Women at Work", a landmark study on black women and employment. She received her MA in 1923. She was elected to the national board of the YWCA in 1924. Haynes was a member of

Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is an List of African American fraternities, historically African-American Fraternities and sororities, sorority. The sorority was founded in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Alpha Kappa Alpha ...

sorority. Ross published ''The Black Boy of Atlanta'', her biography of R.R. Wright in 1952. Ross died in New York City on October 26, 1953.

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haynes, Elizabeth Ross 1883 births 1953 deaths African-American sociologists 20th-century African-American women writers 20th-century African-American writers 20th-century American writers 20th-century American women writers American sociologists American women sociologists American social workers Columbia University alumni Fisk University alumni People from Lowndes County, Alabama 20th-century African-American scientists 20th-century American women scientists 20th-century American scientists