Phillis Wheatley Peters Booklet

1930

Many Black women's clubs were named in honor of Phillis Wheatley Peters.

By the 20th century, many schools, settlement homes, businesses, and public spaces were named after Phillis Wheatley. Viewed as a symbol of accomplishment and intelligence, Wheatley’s name also began to appear on many Black women’s clubs. These clubs were created following the larger women’s club movement of the 1890s, which had often excluded Black women. Black women responded by starting their own clubs, which sought the uplift of Black communities, especially in urban centers. This booklet, published by the Phillis Wheatley Club of Waycross, Georgia, included one of Wheatley’s poems and some of her correspondence with George Washington, who had praised her. The booklet was likely sold to raise funds for the club.