First African – American elected to the West Virginia State Legislature
Elizabeth Simpson Drewry
Most outside the state of West Virginia probably never heard of Elizabeth Simpson Drewry. And, most inside West Virginia probably never heard of her. I, being born and educated in the state, never heard of her - until recently. And that is history's failure.
On behalf of Black History Month, I would like to tell you about this remarkable women. But first, a little background: When in middle school, I took a class called "West Virginia History," and I can assure you I remember nothing about Elizabeth Drewry, or for that mater, little to nothing about black contributions to our state. Other than an overview of slavery , our text book was about "white history." But, that was 1962. And, this is 2017.
As stated in the vintage Virginia Slims commercials ,"We've come a long way baby." And many of the reasons we have come so far can be attributed to the efforts of black men and women like Drewry. To honor her, and those like her, here is her story:
"She was the oldest of 10 children. Her family moved to Elkhorn, West Virginia when she was a child. Drewry grew up in McDowell County, where she attended (black) public school. By the end of the decade, thirty percent of the population of McDowell County was African American."
"Drewry's father owned a successful barbershop and home in Elkhorn. Her family was part of a growing black middle class, a group that stressed education as a means of personal improvement and racial uplift. She graduated from the Bluefield Institute in 1934 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Married a Bluefield professor, William H. Drewry. They had one child, a daughter named Lucille. As an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the National Association of Colored Women, and her church, Drewry instituted community programs to improve the lives of adults and children in need and spoke for racial justice and education."
"In 1910, she began teaching in the black schools of coal camps along Elkhorn Creek. Her career in the McDowell County black public school system spanned almost fifty years. From early on, Drewry was active in state and local educational association as well as political and civic organizations. She worked as a Republican precinct poll worker in 1921 and supported the Republican party for many years. However, in 1936 she changed her political affiliation to the Democratic party. She was also involved with the American Red Cross, the Clark City Council, the Northfork Town Council, the McDowell County Public Library, and the McDowell County Democratic Executive Committee."
"In 1946 and 1948, Drewry unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates. In 1950, she was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates, making her the first African-American woman elected to the West Virginia Legislature. Drewry served as a delegate for 13 years from 1951 to 1966, when a stroke forced her to retire. In her first term, she publicly exposed a bribe she received from the coal industry. The incident put her on the front pages of newspapers in Charleston, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh and earned her the support of coal miners. During her time in the House of Delegates, Drewry chaired the Military Affairs and Health Committees and served on the Judiciary, Education, Labor and Industry, Counties, Districts, and Municipalities committees. Drewry successfully sponsored a bill to allow women to serve on juries in West Virginia. Throughout her service, she advocated for civil rights, social justice, and health reform. In particular, the bills she sponsored and introduced supported waged workers, teachers, and women."
All West Virginians should be aware of her contributions and celebrate her life...for we are where we are today, in part, because of men and women like Elizabeth Simpson Drewry.
Coming very soon: My thoughts as to why all public schools should be open on National Holidays.
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Until next time...
Michael
Picture courtesy of (legis.wv.state.us) and much of the content courtesy of Wikipedia.