Dr. Charolotte Hawkins Brown

Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown was born on June 11, 1883 in Henderson, North Carolina. She was the granddaughter of a slave. In the late 1880's, her family moved by boat from Norfolk, Virginia to Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1901, she found an unoccupied shack and turned it into a one-room school. She taught school for one year. In 1902 Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown was a founder of the Palmer Institute, which was a school for upper class African Americans. The Palmer Institute was located in Sandalia, North Carolina. In 1911, at the age of 29 she married a man named Edward S. Brown. The Marriage only lasted for four years until 1915. Between 1917 and 1936, she recieved honarary Master of Arts degrees from three educational institutions. Also between 1937 and 1958, she recieved honorary doctoral degrees from four universities. She also served as the president for the North Carolina Teachers Association. In 1941, at the age of 68 she wrote a book called The Correct Things to do, to Say to Wear. Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown had no children of her own but she took care of her brother Mingo's daughters and her Aunt Ella Brice's four children. In the 1960's she was a founder of the North Carolina Teacher's Association. Her main goal was to show that blacks should be equal to whites. Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown died January 11, 1961 in Greensboro, North Carolina at the age of 77 because of heart problems.

Dara M.