Black History Month – Women of Murfreesboro
February is Black History Month, a commemoration of the many accomplishments and sacrifices made by so many black people throughout history. Since the mid-1960s, many appropriate commemoration ceremonies have been introduced on local television stations to coincide with the famous declaration by Martin Luther King, Jr. as he stood on the balcony of MLK Building to declare, “I’ve been to the mountaintop.”
This month showcases the simple fact that most black Americans are genuinely proud of their African Diaspora heritage and wish to celebrate it on every possible level. It is commemorating the great strides made in the black civil rights movement; the progress made in achieving justice; the strides made in the understanding of higher education for all; the strides made in overcoming stereotypes; and most importantly, the strides made in the betterment of conditions for black people in America.
With so many African American people who have influenced the whole world enough that a whole month in a year has been dedicated to them, there were women of Murfreesboro who contributed during wars and hard times effortlessly. Let’s discuss the two women of Murfreesboro whose contributions cannot be forgotten.
Women of Murfreesboro:
- Ann Bradford Stokes
Ann Bradford Stokes is one of America’s first female nurses. She served throughout the Civil War and was active in many battles, including the Battle of New Orleans. She worked as an assistant-nurse in a Chicago hospital and then worked in a women’s’ hospital in Atlanta. After that, she worked in a hospital for a year before retiring to become a teacher. She taught reading to poor school children and later became a teacher in an urban teaching center.
Ann had always dreamed of being a part of the army, but the Civil War interrupted that plan. In addition to her army service, she served as a teacher and a nurse with the Continental Army. She was the first woman of America who received a military pension for the services she offered. She was also one amongst the first African American women who served as a nurse in the Navy.
- Lutie Lytle
Lutie Lytle was a very successful lawyer who had been one of the first black women in the legal field. Being admitted into the state bar of Tennessee at a relatively young age, she quickly practiced law in Topeka, Kansas City, and Brooklyn, New York, before being admitted to Tennessee’s federal court. After a distinguished career as an attorney, Lytle settled in Nashville, where she opened a law office.
She retired to live in California, and although she has passed away, her memory lives on as an inspiration to so many of today’s women lawyers. Known as a tireless and persistent woman who did everything by the book, Lytle always kept her clients happy through thick and thin. Lutie Lytle is still remembered by many in the United States as the first black women law professor.
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