Nannie Helen Burroughs Legacy
A Story Worth Telling
Nannie Helen Burroughs’ life and legacy contain a story worth telling. She’s been the epitome of an independent woman long before the term was embraced by pop culture.
Therefore, in honor of Women’s History Month, I’ll acknowledge the contributions made by women in society and Christianity.
I’ll accomplish this goal by highlighting her background and academic accomplishments. Then I’ll reveal how faith and passion for education empower Nannie’s calling as a women’s rights advocate.
To Washington, DC & Beyond
Nannie Helen Burroughs Background
Nannie Helen Burroughs was born on May 2, 1879, in Orange, Virginia. She was the only living daughter of John and Jennie Burroughs, whose other two children died as infants.
Nannie’s parents were able to live honest, productive lives despite being former slaves. Her father, John, was a farmer and preacher, while her mother was a domestic worker.
This is how she provides for Nannie and herself when the two move to Washington, DC. Historians are unsure whether John’s death or a prior divorce prompts Jennie’s decision to relocate.
Regardless, Washington, DC, became the place where Nannie discovered her identity and divine calling. As a teenager, she attended M Street High School (now known as Paul Laurence Dunbar High School) in Northwest DC.
While there, she studies business and domestic science. She also starts the Harriet Beecher Stowe Literary Society and meets Anna J. Cooper and Mary Church Terrell.
These women, who were instrumental in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and civil rights, would serve as her role models.
Nannie Helen Burroughs, Professionalism and Colorism
Nannie graduated from high school with honors in 1896. Afterward, she attends Eckstein Nortin University and is given an honorary degree in 1907.
At some point during her collegiate journey, she moved to Philadelphia and works as an associate editor for the Christian Banner.
Later, she returns to the District and applies to become a teacher for DC Public Schools (DCPS). Despite passing the civil exam with a high score, Nannie didn’t achieve her goal.
The reason why is DCPS’s preference for Black teachers with lighter complexions. Colorism forces her to find temporary employment as a janitor and bookkeeper.
Nannie Helen Burroughs Serves the National Baptist Convention
A Blessing in Disguise
Thankfully, this hardship helps her acquire the experience necessary to become a bookkeeper and editorial secretary for the Foreign Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention (NBC).
This role allows her to serve the NBC for half a century while founding and being the president of NBC’s Women’s Auxiliary for 13 years.
Serving with the NBC becomes a tremendous blessing for Nannie in three ways. First, she’s able to meet and interact with leaders like fellow Black history advocate Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
The two share deep convictions about Blacks learning their own history and sharing these stories with others. According to Dr. Woodson, learning about others’ past accomplishments will help them find inspiration that can only come from studying history and biography.
Psalm 145:4-7 supports this conviction, encouraging the Israelites to testify to future generations about what the Lord has done for them. This will help them preserve and increase their adoration for their creator.
Furthermore, Nannie was also good friends with Dr. Martin Luther King’s parents (Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King). She models godly affection and support for Martin by allowing him to deliver a speech about “The Vision for a New World” at the NBC’s Women’s Auxiliary.
Nannie also praises Dr.King for calmly standing up for rights and righteousness during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. She even prays for him after he’s stabbed in 1958.
Nannie’s Compelling Speeches
Along with developing a good rapport with Dr. Woodson and Dr. King, Nannie’s oratorical skills also captured President Herbert Hoover’s attention. Thanks to her speech “How the Sisters are Hindered from Helping,” he appoints her as chair of a committee helping Blacks obtain housing.
While one speech places Nannie in the spotlight, her words focus on the betterment of others rather than self-indulgence. She proves this by addressing White females for their inability to see Black ladies as allies in the fight for Women’s rights.
Additionally, Nannie passionately appeals to Church leaders, asking them not to hinder women trying to recruit volunteers to join the Foreign Missions Society (FMS). The speech not only reveals her urgent desire for the Gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission, but also her ability to count the cost.
Nannie does this by providing listeners with a list of monetary contributions various groups will give to support the FMS.
Furthermore, Nannie uses her voice to lovingly chastise churches for either lacking or mistreating their Bibles and hymnals. Their negligence upset her because these two sacred texts aid believers as they learn about, hear from, and worship God.
Psalm 119:9-16 suggests that David shares Nannie’s reverence for these holy texts, as he praises God and loves obeying His commands.
Nannie’s Ministry of Advocating for Women
Nannie demonstrates faith among believers through her reverence for worship, scripture, and the Gospel. While this is admirable, Nannie desires to minister to women beyond the church through education and professional training.
So, at 26, she founded the National Training School for Women and Girls with contributions from the NBC. She devotes the rest of her life to the school by fulfilling Titus 2:3-5 and never getting married.
That said, I’m sure she becomes a mother figure to her students by preparing them to be professionals and homemakers. Her courses help them learn the importance of Black history and how to write without grammatical errors.
She also teaches them how to cook, sew, and become financially and politically independent. The training school students may have gotten to witness this personally, as Nannie also serves with
- The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.
- The National Association of Colored Women.
- The National Association of Wage Earners.
Nannie’s labor as an advocate for Black history and Women’s Rights remains a pivotal part of Washington, DC’s heritage. The training school was renamed in her honor three years after her death on May 20, 1961, and is a national historic site. From 1964-2016, the institution was known as Nannie Helen Burroughs Elementary School.
The school’s location is now home to the Monroe School and the Progressive Baptist Convention. This is a fitting omen honoring a leader who dedicates her life to serving others.
Philippians 2:3-4 says don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, to” (New Living Translation).
Thank You!
Thank you for taking the time to read stories of faith through the Electi A Deo Experience. Feel free to leave a comment below and share this content with everyone you know. Have a great weekend!
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