Ella Lillian Davis Browne Mahammitt (November 22, 1863 – September 9, 1932) was an American journalist, civil rights activist, and women's rights activist from

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. She was editor of the black weekly '' The Enterprise'', president of Omaha's Colored Women's Club, and an officer of local branches of the Afro-American League. On a national stage, in 1895 she was vice-president of the

National Federation of Afro-American Women The First National Conference of the Colored Women of America was a three-day conference in Boston organized by Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, a civil rights leader and suffragist. In August 1895, representatives from 42 African-American women's clu ...

, headed by

Margaret James Murray Margaret Murray Washington (March 9, 1865 - June 4, 1925) was an American educator who was the principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, which later became Tuskegee University. She also led women’s clubs. She was the third wife ...

(wife of

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

), and in 1896 was a committee member of the successor organization, the

National Association of Colored Women The National Association of Colored Women's Clubs (NACWC) is an American organization that was formed in July 1896 at the First Annual Convention of the National Federation of Afro-American Women in Washington, D.C., United States, by a merger of ...

, under president

Mary Church Terrell Mary Church Terrell (born Mary Eliza Church; September 23, 1863 – July 24, 1954) was one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree, and became known as a national activist for civil rights and suffrage. She taught in the Lati ...

Life

Ella Lillian Davis was born November 22, 1863, in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, Missouri, the only surviving child of William F. Davis, a Kansas City policeman and his wife Annie (Atchus) Davis. Ella L. Davis became a schoolteacher in Kansas City On June 18. 1884, she married Dr. John M. Browne in Kansas City, but it appears that the marriage was short-lived. On June 9, 1891, Browne married Thomas P. Mahammitt of Omaha. The marriage took place in Kansas City on June 9, 1891, with a reception held in Omaha at the home of Millard F. Singleton. After their marriage, Browne and Mahammitt moved to Omaha.

National Federation of Afro-American Women

In 1895 she traveled to

The First National Conference of the Colored Women of America The First National Conference of the Colored Women of America was a three-day conference in Boston organized by Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, a civil rights leader and suffragist. In August 1895, representatives from 42 African-American women's clu ...

held on August 26, 1895, in Berkeley Hall, Boston, Massachusetts on July 29–31, 1895, called by the Woman's Era Club of Boston. The focus of the convention was the education of black children and the group named themselves the National Federation of Afro-American Women. She was elected as vice-president representing the West at the meeting

''The Enterprise''

When Mahammitt returned to Omaha, she reported on the convention in the weekly "Woman's Column" in Omaha's weekly black paper, '' The Enterprise'', which was owned by her husband but which she took a primary role in running and editing. In Omaha, Mahammit was president of a branch of the Colored Women's Club, keeping the motto, "Lifting as we Climb". In 1895, the club discussed with great approval the 1895 Atlanta Compromise speech by Booker T. Washington, which they read along with personal letters from Washington and his wife. In December, 1895, Mahammitt attended the Congress of Colored Women in Atlanta as a part of the 1895 Atlanta Convention along with Mrs. Nellie Wingo of Lincoln, Miss Charlina Haynes of Beatrice, Mrs. Lulu B. Moors of Lincoln, and Mrs. Laura M. Craig of Omaha. Mahammit served as Nebraska State Commissioner to the congress. She presented at the Executive Session on December 28 on the topic of "A Mother's Duty in her Home". Others presenting in that session were Mrs. Lucy Thurman, Mrs. Libbie C. Anthony, Mrs. W. E. Matthews, Mrs. N. F. Morrell, Mrs. A. S. Gray, Mrs. C. S. Smith, and Mrs. J. Silone Yates. Others who spoke over the three-day congress were: Mrs. Lucy B. Stephens, Mrs. Ida D. Bailey, Mrs. Fannie Barrier Williams, Miss Ednorah Nahar, Mrs. Alice D. Cary, Mrs. Jessie Lawson, and Mrs.

Fannie Barrier Williams Frances "Fannie" Barrier Williams (February 12, 1855 – March 4, 1944) was an African American educator, civil rights, and women's rights activist, and the first black woman to gain membership to the Chicago Woman's Club. She became well kno ...

. Mrs. Sylvanie F. Williams also presented on Mahammitt's topic during the session at the congress, and Mahammitt's contribution was read by Mrs. Jessie Lawson. She was also active in the Nebraska branch of the Afro-American League where Samuel Grant was chairman. Mahammitt served as chair of the committee on enfranchisement of women at a meeting in Falls City in June 1896, Other officers of the League of Omaha included M. L. Wilson, J. W. Long, M. F. Singleton, George F. Franklin, and

John Albert Williams John Albert Williams (February 28, 1866 – February 4, 1933) was a minister, journalist, and political activist in Omaha, Nebraska. He was born to an escaped slave and spoke from the pulpit and the newspapers on issues of civil rights, equality ...

. In her weekly ''Woman's Column'', she discussed issues pertinent to African-American life, to household management, and to the Omaha Branch of the Colored Women's Club. In 1896, Mahammitt was criticized by the Afro-American Sentinel of Omaha edited by Cyrus D. Bell for her political activity. Mahammitt and the Women's Club had sought the appointment of G. F. Franklin (Clara B. Franklin was a member of the Women's Club and G. F. Franklin was formerly the owner of ''The Enterprise'') to the position of Inspector of Weights and Measures by the Mayor. Bell also accused Mahammitt of opposing the appointment of Miss Jessie Merriam to a clerkship in the office of Mr. Albyn Frank, which Mahammit denied. In 1896, the Women's Club officers were: President, Ella L. Mahammitt, Vice President: Nettie Johnson, Treasurer:

Ophelia Clenlans Ophelia Clenlans ( – February 12, 1907) was a civil rights activist and journalist from Omaha, Nebraska. Biography Clenlans was born a slave in about 1841 in Platte County, Missouri, and came to Omaha. Clenlans married Emanuel S. Clenlans and ...

, Secretary (Clenlans was on the executive board of the National Federation of Afro-American Women: Laura M. Craig, and Corresponding Secretary: Clara B. Franklin. For Easter, 1896, the Enterprise released a special edition which was widely commended and whose contributors included Ella L. Mahammitt, Mrs. E. E. Guy, J. A. Childs,

Josephine Silone Yates Josephine Silone Yates (1852 or November 15, 1859 – September 3, 1912) was an American professor, writer, public speaker, and activist. She trained in chemistry and became one of the first black professors hired at Lincoln University in ...

, Mrs. E. Turner,

Comfort Baker Comfort Baker (born ) was a teacher in the American South and was the first African American to graduate from a High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Comfort was born in New Bern, North Carolina, about 1869. Her father died when she was very young. Whe ...

Victoria Earle Matthews Victoria Earle Matthews (''née'' Ella Victoria Smith, May 27, 1861 – March 10, 1907) was an American author, essayist, newspaperwoman, settlement worker, and activist. She was born into slavery in Fort Valley, Georgia and moved to New York City ...

, and Margaret James Murray. She also contributed to many other journals, including the ''Monthly Review'' of Philadelphia edited by Charles Alexander.

National Association of Colored Women

In her column, Mahammitt endorsed the union of the National Federation of Afro-American Women and the National League of Colored Women at the conference of the League in Washington on July 14–16, 1896, although her strongest support went to the Federation with which she was closely involved. Omaha Colored Women's Club Recording Secretary Mrs. S. Lilliam Coleman represented the Woman's Club of Omaha at the July 1896 meeting. The federation and league were, indeed, united and thereafter known as the National Association of Colored Women under president Mary Church Taylor and Margaret James Murray as chairman of the executive committee. Mahammitt served on the Ways and Means Committee.

Later Years

Ella and Thomas Mahammitt divorced in 1903. Thomas remarried to Sarah Helen B. Toliver on May 25, 1904, in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

.and remained in Omaha, while on May 21, 1904, in

Douglas, Arizona Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States that lies in the north-west to south-east running Sulpher Springs Valley. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico at Agua Prieta and a history of mining. The population was 16,531 in ...

, Ella married Alonzo R. Cassells, an

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

native who owned and operated a restaurant in Douglas. The Cassells moved further west to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, where Alonzo opened a barber shop and Ella set herself up in business as a trained nurse, a profession she would follow for most of the rest of her life. Sometime around 1910, the Cassells separated, and Ella moved to

Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...

where she lived until she died in Los Angeles on September 9, 1932. She is buried in Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.Death Certificate of Ella L. Cassells

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahammitt, Ella 19th-century American newspaper editors American newspaper publishers (people) 1863 births 1932 deaths Journalists from Los Angeles Writers from Omaha, Nebraska Activists for African-American civil rights Newspaper people from Omaha, Nebraska African-American journalists Journalists from Nebraska American women journalists Activists from Nebraska 19th-century American women writers Writers from Kansas City, Missouri Activists from Missouri Journalists from Missouri African-American activists Women newspaper editors 19th-century American businesspeople Women civil rights activists 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women 19th-century African-American women writers 19th-century American writers 19th-century African-American writers