Elizabeth Lindsay Davis (1855-1944) was an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

teacher and activist. She was responsible for forming the Phyllis Wheatley Women's Club in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 1900. Over the course of her life, she participated and contributed to the advancement of African-American women. In 1922, she wrote ''The Story of the Illinois Federation of Colored Women's Clubs'', a book highlighting the history of women's organizations and their notable members in the state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

. In 1933, she published her book ''Lifting as They Climb'' about the history of the National Association of Colored Women. During her life, she collaborated with

Ida B. Wells Ida B. Wells (full name: Ida Bell Wells-Barnett) (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for ...

and W.E.B. DuBois to contribute to the progress and to support African-American women during the early 20th century.

Life

Elizabeth L. Davis was born in 1855 to Thomas and Sophia Jane Lindsay in the town of Peoria, Illinois. She later attended and graduated from high school in

Princeton, Illinois Princeton is a city in and the county seat of Bureau County, Illinois, Bureau County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,832 at the 2020 census. Princeton is part of the Ottawa, Illinois, Ottawa Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area ...

. She subsequently taught school in various towns, and married William Davis in 1885. They moved to Chicago in 1893.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Elizabeth L. 1855 births 1944 deaths African-American women writers African-American activists 20th-century African-American writers 19th-century African-American educators 19th-century American educators 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American educators 20th-century American educators