Musette Brooks Gregory (October 10, 1876 – July 26, 1921) was an African-American

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

and

civil rights activist Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

Biography

Gregory was born on 10 October 1876 to Eugene and Oceanna Everett Brooks. The family lived in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, where Musette attended public school. While living in Washington, D.C., Gregory was a principal's clerk and the supervisor of first-year work for the 13th District public schools. As a clerk, Gregory was exposed to teaching, and would later become a teacher herself. Gregory was also very involved in community service. She held leadership positions in the Music School Settlement in New York and was a member of the board of the Old Folks’ Home of Newark. She was a member and ex-President of the Phyllis Wheatley Literary Society of Newark. On June 23, 1904, Gregory married Eugene Monroe Gregory, a

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

graduate. While Musette Gregory was teaching, Eugene Gregory was enrolled in Columbian University (now

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

) to study law. Originally, the couple lived in Trenton, but they moved to Newark in 1910. They had no children. Gregory died on July 26, 1921, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. Because of her significant achievements with civil rights and suffrage, the Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs named a scholarship after her.

Suffrage work

Throughout her career, Gregory was involved with several women’s organizations, especially in New Jersey. In addition to her work in New Jersey, she actively worked alongside social services in New York. In 1919, she attended a rally in New Jersey, where she was elected to the executive committee for the New Jersey Suffrage Ratification Committee. The goal of the NJSRC was to help elect men that supported the 19th amendment. They wanted them to be in office before and during the election to get more voters. The NJSRC worked in partnership with organizations such as the New Jersey Suffrage Association, the State Federation of Women’s Club, the State Federation of Colored Women’s Club, and the State Women’s Christian Temperance Movement. In addition to her suffrage work, Gregory was the superintendent of the Working Girls’ Home in New York.

Civil rights work

Civil rights work was important to Gregory. She became the secretary and chairman of the executive board for the New Jersey Foundation of Colored Women’s Clubs, the oldest African-American secular organization in existence today. This organization is committed to addressing the needs of black women. One of Gregory's main projects was her work with the Colored Mission of the Diocesan Auxiliary of the

Cathedral of St. John the Divine The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (sometimes referred to as St. John's and also nicknamed St. John the Unfinished) is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhoo ...

in New York, where she became the superintendent. Under this mission, she worked at the Home for the Working Girls at 132 West 131st Street, New York City, where she helped protect young working class African-American girls. The mission helped keep them out of prostitution by preparing them for work with cooking, sewing, and housekeeping. They also provided the girls counseling. Gregory was highly involved with the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

, becoming the Vice President of the Newark Branch.

Death

Gregory died in 1921 on July 26 after a long illness. An obit was published in

The Crisis ''The Crisis'' is the official magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It was founded in 1910 by W. E. B. Du Bois (editor), Oswald Garrison Villard, J. Max Barber, Charles Edward Russell, Kelly M ...

and the

Newark Evening News The ''Newark Evening News'' was an American newspaper published in Newark, New Jersey. As New Jersey's largest city, Newark played a major role in New Jersey's journalistic history. At its apex, ''The News'' was widely regarded as the newspaper of ...

, among others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregory, Musette Brooks 1876 births 1921 deaths 20th-century African-American educators African-American women educators African-American suffragists Suffragists from New Jersey 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women