Phyllis Wheatley Association collection

Biography/Profile

Mrs. Elizabeth Lindsay Davis, a prominent African-American clubwoman and teacher, organized the Phyllis Wheatley Woman's Club in 1896 in Chicago. The new club was named after the first recognized African-American poet, Phyllis Wheatley, who praised the American Revolution and wrote about the meaning of freedom while herself a slave in Boston. Mrs. Davis served as president of the club that she created for twenty-eight years.

The primary purpose of the Phyllis Wheatley Association was to provide a home for young African-American women who had come to Chicago for employment. The first Phyllis Wheatley Home was officially opened at 3530 Forest Avenue in 1908. A larger brownstone building at 3256 Rhodes Avenue was purchased in 1913. With assistance from the Clara Jessamine Club of Chicago, efforts were made to enlarge and improve the group's facilities and by 1915, the Phyllis Wheatley Home was located at 5128 South Michigan Avenue and provided accommodations for twenty-two women.