Black Women’s 19th century Literary Organizations

Introduction

Established in 1832, the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society held its first meeting at the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill. It's members worked together to promote literacy in the streets of Boston. In addition to providing educational materials and opportunities, they also participated in local charity work, and hosted a variety of scholarly lectures within their neighborhood. Above all else, this organization of Black women in Boston devoted itself to the preservation and cultivation of its community.

Afric-American Female Intelligence Society of Boston

The official introduction of the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society to the Black community was in the abolitionist newspaper, the Liberator in 1831. As an all-female literary organization in the nineteenth century, the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society challenged cultural norms by virtue of its very existence. The members affected gradual social change through their many social outreach efforts and exposed Boston’s Black community to various innovative ideas through their lecture series. Perhaps most famously, the Society hosted a public speech by Maria Stewart -- the first African American woman to make a public speech to mixed male and female crowds.

Though tight-knit Black neighborhoods benefited from this sense of community in terms of charity, culture, and connection, the religious mores which governed this society had little tolerance for those who deviated from social norms. Their principles preached morality, fidelity, and faith– but left little room to challenge less egalitarian areas of mainstream society. As such, literary organizations founded by Black upper-middle-class women struggled to effectively confront strict gender roles during the nineteenth century.

Although feminine propriety was presented as a core value within the Black community it restricted the scope of all-female societies such as the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society to a woman’s domestic role. Consequently, these literary organizations primarily served as “school[s] for the encouragement and promotion of polite literature” (Hull 163). Most education offered through these societies fed into the unequal balance between gender roles in the nineteenth century. Such themes frequentlyreinforced the sexist expectations of mainstream society, emphasizing the submissive place of women, specifically Black women, in regards to both education and vocation.In later years, as the activism of the abolitionist movement expanded members of the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society would “switch from reading European classics to discussing the Liberator and anti-slavery pamphlets, and inviting male speakers to expound upon the evils of slavery” (Washington).

Preamble:

Whereas the subscribers, women of color of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, actuated by a natural feeling for the welfare of our friends, have thought fit to associate for the diffusion of knowledge, the suppression of vice and immorality, and for cherishing such virtues as will render us happy and useful to society, sensible of the gross ignorance under which we have too long labored, but trusting by the blessing of God, we shall be able to accomplish the object of our union—we have therefore associated ourselves under the name of the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society and have adopted the following Constitution.
Art. 1st. The officers of this Society shall be a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and a Board of Directors of five—all of whom shall be annually elected.
Art 2nd. Regular meetings of the Society shall be held on the first Thursday of every month, at which each member shall pay twenty-five cents, and pay twelve and a half cents at every monthly meeting thenceforth.
Art. 3d. The money thus collected shall be appropriate for the purchasing of books, the hiring of a room and other contingencies.
Art. 4th. The books and other articles purchased by this Society, shall be considered as the Society’s property; and should the Society cease to exist, said property shall be disposed of by auction, and each member receive her proportional part of the proceeds accruing from such sale.
Art. 5th. It shall be the duty of the President to preserve order at the meetings of said society, and to call special meetings when occasion may require.
Art. 6th. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside; and in the absence of both, the Secretary shall preside.
Art. 7th. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to pay all orders drawn on her by the Secretary, and signed by the President. The Treasurer shall give bonds to the Society for the faithful discharge of the duties of her office.
Art. 8th. The Secretary shall keep an account of the receipts and expenditures of the Society.
Art. 9th. All applications shall be to the Society at the monthly meetings or to the Board of Directors, who shall report it at the next meeting.

Key Themes

This document, clearly denoting the values and regulations of the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society, sets forth strong support for women, democracy, duty, political hierarchy, and religion. Concern for the manners and general health of its members is written into formal legislature, along with a rather amusing stipulation that “any member becoming obnoxious may be removed.”
The image of this new society presented in its constitution reflects the socioeconomic standing of its membership. The emphasis placed on fines and dues, all paying for educational materials, sick leave, and general expenses, suggests the financial capabilities of the middle and upper middle-class Black women in the nineteenth century. In this regard, the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society might be considered somewhat elitist– though plainly caring for its members and the community, a certain level of wealth, or aspiration to wealth, seems required in order to be involved.

Conclusion

Though the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society did not fight for feminism as outrightly as Maria Stewart, this organization contradicted prominent, derogatory images of Black women in the nineteenth century. By placing a firm emphasis on “Female Intelligence,” the members of this society, like Stewart, drew attention to the intellectual and charitable capabilities of Black women– if chiefly those of upper-middle-class Black women. Unfortunately, the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society found it difficult to contradict fundamental gender inequality in society, existing within a conservative physical and ideological scene. However, this notable society created an important space within the Black community, exposing different classes to radical politics and ideals, and paving the way for future monumental campaigns– such as the anti-slavery and women's rights movements. The African Meeting House still exists today in its original form, as a historical landmark to exhibit Black history and community in Boston in the 18tth century.

Bibliography

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