Exploring Local Legacies of Segregation and Exclusion in Women's Reform Work in Athens, Georgia: Using Narratives of Racial Inequity to Expand Social Work's Self-Understanding

Background: It is now widely accepted that social work research must incorporate diverse perspectives and approaches in order to address complex challenges. By reexamining the contributions of diverse educators, social reformers, and community leaders from the past, social work researchers can: (1) learn how past work informs our current attitudes and practices (for good and ill); and 2) identify opportunities for advancing more inclusive and equitable approaches. This presentation will critically examine how Mary Ann Lipscomb (1848-1918) and Judia Jackson Harris (1870-1960), two early 20th-century social reformers—one white and one Black—based in Athens, Georgia, contributed to the democratization and decolonization of knowledge within their respective communities. It will also explore their engagement with issues of race, providing insights into how social work researchers can learn from these historical examples to better center racial equity and justice in their work.

Methods: To comprehensively investigate the impact of race, racism, and racial exclusion on the lives and work of these two women during the early 20th century, I employed a historical-critical approach. This involved conducting in-depth analyses of primary sources, including digitized local newspapers (1890-1930), the archives of Lucy Cobb Institute, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Athens Women's Club, and the digitized Atlanta University Bulletin. Additionally, I examined Judia Jackson Harris' 1925 monograph, Race Relations, to provide further context and insights. This rigorous and systematic examination of historical documents allowed for a nuanced understanding of the interplay between race and social reform during this period.

Results: Analysis of primary sources reveals that both Lipscomb and Jackson Harris explicitly addressed race in their work. Lipscomb (1907) related being approached by Martha Bass, a Black seamstress, for help creating a center for children "whose parents earned their living by going out in service." Lipscomb believed this service might help Black children "grow up to be respectable colored citizens" so that "crime would be abolished." Jackson Harris (1907), describing her work for the Atlanta University Bulletin, wrote that she aimed "to get our people on a higher plane of living." Writing to white audiences, Jackson Harris advocated for greater opportunity for Black citizens (1925): "I believe that no country can achieve its highest fulfillment with a part of its citizenry economically and industrially free and the other part deprived of the right to become so qualified." Despite distinct contexts and approaches, both reformers worked to address racial disparities and contribute positively to their communities.

Conclusions and Implications: Lipscomb's efforts to create a home for Black children were short-lived, as her focus shifted towards initiatives for white girls and women. Jackson Harris's work relied on maintaining interest and commitment from white organizations, securing significant funding from northern foundations while gaining local support. The divergent experiences of these trailblazing women underscore the prevailing racial stereotypes and barriers of their time. Investigating local historical cases compels social workers to critically assess past services in their communities and reflect on how early reformers' racial attitudes and experiences shape contemporary social work research and practice.