Ruby Hurley (1909-1980) was a pioneer of Black feminist activism. She played a key role in winning rights for African Americans and expanding the NAACP.
Ruby Hurley (1909-1980) was a pioneer of Black feminist activism. She played a key role in winning rights for African Americans and expanding the NAACP.
You’re probably familiar with rebels without a cause, but what about rebels with a cause? This month on Womanica, we’re talking about women who broke rules that were meant to be broken. From the “Godmother of Title IX” Bernice Sandler, to the most prominent figure of the People Power Revolution, Corazon Aquino, to the “Queen of Civil Rights” Ruby Hurley, these women took major risks to upend the status quo and create meaningful change.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, Abbey Delk, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan. And this is Womanica.
This month, we’re talking about Rebels WITH a cause: women who broke rules that were meant to be broken. These women took major risks to upend the status quo and create meaningful change.
Today we’re talking about a pioneer of Black feminist activism. She played a key role in winning rights for African Americans and expanding the NAACP. In the face of adversity, she never backed down. Let’s talk about Ruby Hurley.
On February 12, 1909, Black and white activists united to form the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or the NAACP. This organization would quickly rise to prominence as the leading national organization in the civil rights movement.
On November 7, 1909, Ruby Hurley was born. It didn’t take long for Ruby and the NAACP to join forces.
Little is known about Ruby Hurley’s early life. What we do know is this: She was a product of the Washington, DC, public school system. She attended Miner Teachers College. And she took law classes at Robert H. Terrell Law School while working a series of jobs – including roles in the federal government and the Industrial Bank of Washington.
Ruby’s achievements at this point alone were groundbreaking. Jim Crow laws were in full effect, which enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised Black Americans. And yet, Ruby used her community and savviness to receive higher education during a time when most Black women were confined to domestic work.
As Ruby progressed, so did the civil rights struggle. In 1939, Ruby witnessed it firsthand. That year, opera singer Marian Anderson was scheduled to perform in front of an integrated audience at Constitution Hall, in Washington, DC. When the Daughters of the American Revolution found out Marian was Black, they refused to let her perform. This was racial discrimination 101.
Civil rights advocates were determined to let Marian’s voice be heard. Ruby joined a committee of NAACP members to find a solution. With the support from President Roosevelt and the First Lady, Ruby and the committee successfully got Marian’s concert moved to the Lincoln Memorial. On April 9, 1939, Marian stunned an in-person and radio audience numbering in the millions with her vocals. This performance put the burgeoning civil rights movement center stage.
Ruby’s activism didn’t stop there. In 1943, NAACP Executive Secretary Walter White appointed Ruby as Youth Secretary of the organization. She moved to New York City and dove straight into her work. Over the next seven years, Ruby increased youth membership to 25,000.
Ruby’s next assignment was in Birmingham, Alabama. She was responsible for setting up a new NAACP office and leading recruitment efforts in five southern states…a much different scene than in the North. In many parts of the south, just being a member of the NAACP was dangerous. Members had their jobs and their lives threatened.
Ruby eventually became the Southeast Regional Director of the NAACP. As director, Ruby traveled around the region speaking on race issues, advocated for civil rights, encouraged non-violent action, and increased NAACP membership. Her impact was such that by the end of the 1960s, her branch was the largest in the organization with more than 90,000 members.
In a movement and organization that was dominated by men, this was no small feat.
Especially when others treated her as less than because of her identity as a Black woman – both inside and outside the organization. Ruby’s work didn’t receive the same kind of recognition as her male counterparts. But this didn’t stop her. No wasn’t an option. And because of this attitude, Ruby made significant progress in the movement for Black liberation and equality for all.
Her legal training was particularly helpful as she investigated racially motivated crimes throughout the south. Most notably, Ruby worked on the murder of Emmett Till. She and her colleague, Medgar Evers put on disguises, wearing field hats and cotton pickers’ clothes, and set out to find potential witnesses to testify. Ultimately, Emmett Till’s killers were acquitted in court. People around the world saw the injustice of the case. And many point to this moment as the launch of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Ruby was at the forefront of it all. Jet Magazine called her the “Most Militant Negro Woman in the South.”
Ruby also put her legal skills to the test when she played an instrumental role in getting the University of Alabama to admit its first Black student. She repeated that work years later at the University of Georgia.
On June 1, 1956, Alabama passed a law banning NAACP activities. That easily could have discouraged, and even stopped this important work. Ruby immediately shut down the branch and moved to Atlanta. But it wasn’t long before she opened another southeast regional office there.
Ruby fought for the advancement of Black people until her retirement in 1978. She devoted nearly four decades of her life to the fight for racial justice.
On August 9, 1980, Ruby Hurley passed away. She was 70 years old.
All month, we’re talking about rebels with a cause. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!