Historical Narratives of Black Women Social Workers (1900-1970)

Background: The exploration of Black women's contributions to American history in general and the field of social work in particular is limited. Leading up to the civil rights movement, Black women were organizing and working to confront issues facing African Americans at the local, national, and international levels (Collier-Thomas & Franklin, 2001). Institutionalized racism and discrimination in the form of Jim Crow laws had a significant influence on the work and opportunities of Black women social workers during this time. To better understand their experiences and perspectives, the oral histories of six Black women social workers who lived between 1896 and 1990 were analyzed. These women and other Black women across numerous professions were interviewed between 1976 and 1981 as a part of The Black Women Oral History Project conducted by the Schlesinger Library at Harvard University. The oral history transcriptions were then placed in an online archive for public access. The focus of this oral presentation uncovers the personal and historical perspectives of the six Black women social workers who were interviewed (Frankie Adams, Anna Arnold, Alfreda Duster, May Hill, Dr. Inabel Lindsay, and Beulah Hester).

Methods: Six transcripts of oral histories of Black women who were social workers between the period 1900-1970 were analyzed using thematic analysis to answer the following research questions: (1)What are the overarching themes present in the historical narratives of these women? (2)What were the significant influences in the lives of these women that contributed to their professional choices? (3) What were the ways race, class, and gender affected the professional and personal lives of these women and the contributions that they made to the field of social work? Results: Three major themes were uncovered during the analysis. (1) Racial socialization: the women talked about having an internal sense of pride around being Black and rejecting any internalized racism or ideas about being inferior to other people. (2) Experiences with racism and discrimination: the women discussed their own experiences with racism and discrimination in their professional and personal lives. Seeing other African Americans impacted by these experiences significantly impacted the women. (3) Intersectional positionality influence: the women highlight how the intersections of their race, economic status, and geographic location influenced the professional opportunities they received. Conclusions and Implications: This analysis provides an expanded understanding of the history of the field of social work and the early contributions of Black women social workers. The challenges that these women experienced as they navigated the profession highlight the need for a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of the history of social work and some of the ways the historical context impacted the services that social workers were able to provide.