Minnie L. Fisher
Minnie Lucinda Fisher (1896-1990) was a civic worker and community activist. She was a native-born citizen of the town of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all-Black town founded by Isaiah Montgomery in 1887.[1][2]
Minnie L. Fisher | |
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| Born | April 29, 1896 |
| Occupation(s) | City Librarian Town Clerk Tax Collector Election Commissioner |
| Known for | Minnie Fisher Day (21 April 1979) |
Biography
Minnie Fisher was born in 1896 to parents Warren and Mary Elizabeth Fisher of Vicksburg, Mississippi, who were among first group of settlers in Mound Bayou. Fisher went to Tougaloo College.[1]
In Mound Bayou, Fisher has worked as the city librarian, the town clerk, a tax collector, and was on the election commission for the city. As city librarian, she put a focus on acquiring Black books. In a New York Times article, she said, "We have put in quite a number of black books in the last year or two. Our people are reading more black books now and the schools had to put in a whole department. . . .". She was a member of the Mound Bayou Civic Improvement Society. She briefly served as the editor of the Mound Bayou News. She was a life-long member of the International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor.[1][3][4]
As an election commissioner, Fisher was involved in the appellate case of Fisher v. Crowe.[3]
On April 21, 1979, Mound Bayou celebrated Fisher with Minnie Fisher Day.[1]
References
- "Black Women Oral History Project Interviews, 1976–1981: Biographies". Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America Research Guides. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- "Minnie Fisher. Transcript". Hollis for Archival Discovery. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- "Fisher v. Crowe". Casetext. Casetext, Inc. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- Jordan, June (11 October 1970). "Mississippi 'Black Home'". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
External links
- Minnie Fisher Interview Transcript, 1976-1981 OH-31. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.