Ruth L. Bennett

Ruth L. Bennett (June 21, 1866 – February 24, 1947) was an American social reformer, women's club founder and the first president of the Chester, Pennsylvania branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Persons (NAACP). She founded the Ruth L. Bennett Improvement Club, the Ruth L. Bennett Community House for Colored Women and Girls and the Wilson Nursery to help migrant black women from the southern United States who moved to Chester as part of the Great Migration. She served as president of the Pennsylvania State Federation of Negro Women's Clubs.

Ruth L. Bennett
Bennett at age 81
Born(1866-06-21)June 21, 1866
Alabama, U.S.
DiedFebruary 24, 1947(1947-02-24) (aged 80)
Resting placeEden Cemetery, Collingdale, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation(s)Women's club founder, president of the Chester, Pennsylvania branch of the NAACP

The Ruth L. Bennett House, the Ruth L. Bennett Homes public housing development and the Ruth Bennett Community Farm in Chester are named in her honor.

Early life

Bennett was born in Alabama on June 21, 1866[1] and moved to Chester, Pennsylvania in 1914 with her husband, Reverend R.J. Bennett.[2] The Reverend preached at Calvary Baptist Church in the West end of Chester.[3]

Career
Bennett (left) directing the Ruth L. Bennett Improvement Club in 1938

During the Great Migration, thousands of black southerners migrated to Chester, Pennsylvania in search of jobs with good wages and to escape racial segregation and discrimination in the South. Many of these migrants were young women, separated from their families, with no work or place to stay. Bennett supported these women with the creation of the Ruth L. Bennett Improvement Club which provided clothing and religious instructions as well as classes on cooking, dressmaking and hygiene.[2]

In 1910, Bennett became the first president of the Chester branch of the NAACP. The first meeting of the organization was held at the Ruth L. Bennett Home for Women.[1]

In 1915, Bennett became the president of the Pennsylvania State Federation of Negro Women's Clubs which had branches in Philadelphia, Coatesville, West Chester and other parts of the states.

In 1918, the club opened the Ruth Bennett Community House for Colored Women and Girls for the shelter and care of migrant women. In 1925, Bennett opened the Wilson Nursery which provided housing for orphans.

By 1940, the Bennett House had provided shelter for over 2,000 black women and girls in need.[2][4]

Death and legacy

Bennet died on February 24, 1947.[1]

The Ruth L. Bennett House and the 260 unit[5] Ruth L. Bennett Homes public housing development, built in 1952,[6] were named in her honor.[4] The Ruth L. Bennett Community Farm is an educational farm and environmental center that operates on 2 acres at the Ruth L. Bennett Homes in Chester.[7]

  • Ruth L. Bennett House
    Ruth L. Bennett House
  • Wilson Nursery next to the Ruth L. Bennett House
    Wilson Nursery next to the Ruth L. Bennett House
  • Sign for the Ruth L. Bennett Homes public housing development
    Sign for the Ruth L. Bennett Homes public housing development
  • Ruth L. Bennett Community Farm
    Ruth L. Bennett Community Farm

References
  1. "Brief History of the Chester Branch NAACP". www.naacpchesterpa.org. NAACP Chester, PA Branch. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  2. "Finding Home: The Ruth L. Bennett Story". www.greatmigrationphl.org. Scribe Video Center. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  3. Smith, Eric Ledell (2008). "The 1917 Race Riot in Chester". Pennsylvania History. 75 (2): 297–341. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  4. Knight, Elizabeth (April 4, 2016). "Documenting Oral Histories of Ruth L. Bennett". www.swarthmorephoenix.com. The Phoenix. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  5. "Documentary honors Chester icon". www.chesterspirit.com. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  6. Mele, Christopher (2017). Race and the Politics of Deception. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-1-4798-6609-0. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  7. "Ruth Bennett Community Farm". www.ruthbennettcommunityfarm.org. Ruth Bennett Community Farm. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
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