Trailblazers in Child Welfare: Celebrating African American Heroes

Introduction:

This Black History Month, we pay tribute to the African Americans who have made lasting contributions to child welfare and how we care for youth in foster care. From visionary leaders like Janie Porter Barrett to social welfare pioneer Lester Blackwell Granger and groundbreaking psychologist Mamie Phipps Clark, these trailblazers have left their mark on history. Their dedication to improving the lives of Black youth, advocating for integration, and advancing mental health services paved the way for progress and a brighter future for vulnerable children.

Janie Porter Barrett’s Vision:

Janie Porter Barrett was born in Athens, Georgia in 1865. Her mother, Julia Porter, a former slave, emphasized the importance of Black history to her daughter and eventually sent her to college at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. While there, Barrett discovered her passion for social service and trained as an elementary teacher. In her early career, she worked her way up as an educator starting at a rural school in Dawson, Georgia, and later returned to the Hampton Institute.

Her devotion to social work led her to create the Locust Street Social Settlement in 1890. It was the first settlement house for Black people that focused on improving the social life of their communities. Later in her career, Barrett founded the Virginia State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. It was then that she met Mary-Cooke Branch Munchford, a prominent social leader in Richmond, Virginia.

The Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls, a product of Barrett and Munchford’s collaboration, was a home for poor and needy girls built on the ideals of strength and empowerment. This school focused on “self-direction and character building,” in the hopes that when young women were ready to leave, they had the tools and knowledge needed to succeed. Janie Porter Barrett’s journey to becoming a pioneer in social work highlights her commitment to empowering Black communities which left a lasting legacy that continues on today.

Lester Blackwell Granger’s Pioneering Work in Social Welfare:

Lester Blackwell Granger was born in Newport News, Virginia in 1896. In his early career, Granger served in the US Army during World War I as an artillery lieutenant. When he returned, he attended Dartmouth College and received a bachelor’s degree in economics. For his postgraduate studies, he attended New York University where his focus was in social work.

Following graduation, Granger began his career as a social worker, where he worked with Black youth in New Jersey’s vocational school system. In 1934, Granger joined the National Urban League’s workers' education section as an assistant executive assistant and as an executive director. His main focus was to educate and mobilize Blacks as they migrated from the South to pursue better jobs

During that time Granger also acted as a special consultant for the Navy during World War II. His expertise in civil rights was instrumental in creating the Navy’s post-World War II integration program and helping solve problems from the Navy abolishing segregation. He traveled over 50,000 miles and visited 67 naval sites in his first six months to build momentum around the fight for desegregation in the military. For his service, Granger was awarded the Navy Medal for Distinguished Service and the President's Medal for Merit.

After retiring from the National Urban League, he taught at many universities, including Princeton, Loyola, and Dillard Universities as a guest professor in sociology. Lester Blackwell Granger’s impactful journey showcases his dedication to social work and civil rights, leaving a legacy that extended beyond his lifetime.

Mamie Phipps Clark’s Groundbreaking Contributions to Psychology

Mamie Phipps Clark was born in 1917, in Hot Springs Arkansas. Growing up during the Jim Crow era, Clark saw firsthand the impact of segregated schools. After graduating from high school, Clark attended Howard University on a merit scholarship. She began studying math and physics, but soon realized that was not the path for her.

She met Kenneth Clark, a Howard peer studying psychology who introduced her to the professors in the Psychology Department. It was then that her interest in psychology was sparked and she shifted her academic pursuits. After graduating with a B.A. in Psychology, Clark continued her journey and received a master’s in psychology at Howard.

Her Master’s Thesis was based on her experience working as a secretary for NAACP lawyer, Charles Hamilton Houston and at the all-African American nursery school. Her thesis entitled, “The Development of Consciousness in Negro Pre-School Children” later served as the basis for the well-renowned “Doll Test” conducted by Kenneth and Mamie Clark in the 1940s.

The “Doll Test” was a psychological experiment that studied the effects of segregation and racism on children. Drs. Clark later took their findings to many schools’ desegregation cases, including the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which ended school segregation in the United States. Mamie Phipps Clark’s journey to dismantle racial inequalities through her groundbreaking research and advocacy played a crucial role in changing the lives of youth for the better.

Conclusion

The contributions of Janie Porter Barrett, Lester Blackwell Granger, and Mamie Phipps Clark have not only changed the world for the better but have also empowered the lives of many. Their dedication to child welfare and social work is an inspiration for organizations like our own as we serve our foster youth, young adults, single-parent families, and community-based foster care and adoption homes. As we reflect on their valuable contributions, we are reminded of their lasting legacies and find inspiration as we continue to build a more inclusive and supportive world for the generations to come.

Sources:

Lester B. Granger (1897 – 1976) — Social worker, civil rights advocate and director of the National Urban League. Social Welfare History Project. Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/granger-lester-b/

Remembering unsung black social work pioneer Lester Blackwell Granger  (2023, February 27). Social Work Blog. Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://www.socialworkblog.org/public-education-campaign/social-work-month/2023/02/remembering-unsung-black-social-work-pioneer-lester-blackwell-granger/

Rothberg, E. (2020-2022). Mamie Phipps Clark (1917-1983). National Women’s History Museum. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mamie-phipps-clark

Social Welfare History Project (2017). Janie Porter Barrett (1865 -1948): Founder of the Locust Street Social Settlement (1890) and the Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls (1915). Social Welfare History Project. Retrieved February 7, 2024, from https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/settlement-houses/barrett-janie-porter-1865-1948-african-american-social-welfare-activist/

Snyder, D. (2023, February 27). Remembering unsung black social work pioneer Lester Blackwell Granger. Social Work Blog. https://www.socialworkblog.org/public-education-campaign/social-work-month/2023/02/remembering-unsung-black-social-work-pioneer-lester-blackwell-granger/