Addie Whiteman Dickerson

Addie Whiteman Dickerson (1878–1940) was a businessperson, politician, clubwoman, suffragist, and peace activist.

Addie Whiteman Dickerson
A Black woman wearing a fur stole over a dress with a collar, and a cameo pinned to the front
Addie Whiteman Dickerson, from a 1942 publication
Born1878 (1878)
Wilmington, North Carolina
DiedMay 31, 1940(1940-05-31) (aged 61–62)
NationalityAmerican
Spouse
G. Edward Dickerson
​
​
(m. 1908; died in 1940)​

Biography

Dickerson née Whiteman was born in 1878[1] in Wilmington, North Carolina. She attended the Gregory Normal School and Scotia Seminary.[2]

In 1908 she married G. Edward Dickerson[2] with whom she had one child.[3] The couple settled in Philadelphia, where Dickerson had a career as a real estate broker and served as the first female African American notary public in Pennsylvania.[2]

Dickerson was active as a clubwoman and suffragist.[4] She was a founding member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Federated Women's Club. She was also a member of the National Association of Colored Women, and the National Council of Negro Women.[2]

After American women won the right to vote, Dickerson ran for a seat on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1930 as a Republican. She did not win. For a time she served as chairman of the Philadelphia Republican Council of Colored Women. Dickerson was also an advocate on behalf of the international peace movement. She was a founding member of the International Council of Women of the Darker Races (ICWDR). She became president of the organization in 1928.[2]

Dickerson died on May 31, 1940.[1]

Legacy

Both Addie and G. Edward Dickerson died in 1940. They left their combined estate of about $100,000 worth of Philadelphia real estate to establish the G. Edward and Addie W. Dickerson Foundation. In 2018 a mural honoring the Dickersons was painted at the Art Sanctuary Philadelphia by the muralist Ernel Martinez[3] as part of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.[5] The Art Sanctuary Philadelphia is located in a building originally owned by the Dickersons.[6]

References
  1. Fry, Jennifer Reed (2013). "Dickerson, Addie Whiteman". African American Studies Center. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.35583. ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1. Retrieved 13 February 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. "Biographical Sketch of Addie Whiteman Dickerson". Alexander Street. Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. Booker, Bobbi. "Mural honors city's early Black power couple". The Philadelphia Tribune. Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  4. Who's who in Colored America. Who's Who in Colored America Corporation. 1942. p. 157.
  5. "Philadelphia Mural Honors Couple That Sought to 'Improve Negro Race,' Detroit Art Week, Rashid Johnson Wins Aspen Award". Culture Type. Archived from the original on 2022-02-14. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  6. "Our Venue History". Art Sanctuary. Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
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