Lena King Lee (1906–2006) was an American educator, attorney, and politician who entered politics at the age of 60 and became one of the first African-American women elected to the
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamb ...
. Lee advocated for teachers' rights, women's rights, and affordable housing, and founded the
Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, Inc. (also known as The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus) is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly. Incorporated in 1970, the Caucus m ...
in 1970. She was inducted into the
Maryland Women's Hall of Fame
The Maryland Women's Hall of Fame (MWHF) recognizes significant achievements and statewide contributions made by women who are Maryland-natives or state residents. It was established in 1985 by the Maryland Commission for Women and the Women Legisl ...
in 1989.
Early life and education
She was born Lena King in
Sumter County, Alabama
Sumter County is a county located in the west central portion of Alabama."ACES Winston County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpageACES-Sumter At the 2020 census, the population was 12,345. Its cou ...
, in 1906, one of three children of Samuel Sylvester King and Lula Gully King.
Her father was a coal miner and a miners' activist who at times worked as a chauffeur and a butler to make ends meet. Lena attended public schools in Alabama, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, as her father moved around in search of mining jobs. After graduating from Tarentum High School, where she was the only black student and finished third in a class of 70, a teacher arranged for her to receive a scholarship to
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public historically black university in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1837, it is the oldest university out of all historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. It is a mem ...
, where she trained as a teacher.
In 1927, she moved to
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
, to take her first teaching job. Four years later she moved to Baltimore, where she taught sixth grade in the Baltimore public schools.
Early in her teaching career she joined the
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the second largest teacher's labor union in America (the largest being the National Education Association). The union was founded in Chicago. John Dewey and Margaret Haley were founders.
About 60 perc ...
and fought for teachers' rights.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree from
Morgan State University
Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known ...
in 1939, Lee was barred from pursuing graduate studies at the
University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
due to
racial segregation
Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...
. Maryland instead paid for African Americans to attend school out of state. Lee commuted by train to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on weekends, and received her Master of Arts degree from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
in 1947. Decades later, she recalled in an interview, "By the time you got to New York, you were worn out, and of course we couldn't ride the Pullmans. This great country actually tolerated that." In 1952, she became the third black woman to receive a law degree from the
University of Maryland School of Law
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (formerly University of Maryland School of Law) is the law school of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is located in Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S. Its location places Maryland ...
.
She was admitted to the
Maryland Bar
The Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of Maryland.
The association pursues the following mission: "to effectively represent Maryland’s lawyers, to provide member services, and to promote profes ...
in 1953.
Career
While pursuing her degrees, Lee continued to teach in the Baltimore public schools. She served as principal of Henry H. Garnett Elementary School from 1947 to 1964, remaining there even after earning her law degree and being admitted to the bar. As a lawyer she worked mostly on domestic cases.
In the 1950s Mayor
Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.
Thomas Ludwig John D'Alesandro Jr. (August 1, 1903 – August 23, 1987) was an American politician who served as the 39th mayor of Baltimore from 1947 to 1959. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented in the United States H ...
appointed her to the Baltimore Housing and Urban Renewal Commission, where she fought for affordable housing for the city's black community. Later she served on the Maryland Advisory Council for Higher Education as an appointee of Governor
J. Millard Tawes
John Millard Tawes (April 8, 1894June 25, 1979), was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party who was the 54th Governor of Maryland from 1959 to 1967. He remains the only Marylander to be elected to the three positions of Stat ...
.
In 1966 she was drafted to run for state delegate. She ran on a progressive platform and was elected that November. Lee represented Baltimore's 4th legislative district (now the 44th) from 1967 to 1982.
During her 16 years in the
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
, she became known for attacking what she considered "bad bills." She saved the historic
Orchard Street Church from demolition, helped get Morgan State University accredited,
and advocated for the rights of teachers, women, and children. She founded the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus in 1970.
In a 1996 interview in the ''
Crisis
A crisis ( : crises; : critical) is either any event or period that will (or might) lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affair ...
'' she recalled, "There was a need to huddle together. There's still a need and we don't realize it. We think we've made it. I often wonder where we're going."
In 1971, Lee proposed a "Marriage-Contractual Renewal Bill," which would have allowed Maryland residents to annul or renew their marriages every three years. The bill received national attention, and Lee made appearances on the ''
Merv Griffin Show
''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 a ...
'' and the ''
Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to:
* Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now''
* Current era, present
* The current calendar date
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...
'' Show. Although the bill did not pass, Lee's efforts contributed to Maryland's eventual adoption of
no-fault divorce
In a no-fault divorce the dissolution of a marriage does not require a showing of wrongdoing by either party. Laws providing for no-fault divorce allow a family court to grant a divorce in response to a petition by either party of the marriage w ...
.
Awards and honors
Lee received a Presidential Citation from the
in 1988. She was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 1989.
In 1995 she received the Distinguished Jurist Award from the
National Bar Association
The National Bar Association (NBA) was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 65,000 lawyers, judges, law profess ...
and was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame.
She is featured in ''2000 Women of Achievement'', Bicentennial Issue of ''Who's Who in America'', ''Who's Who of Women'', ''Black Americans'', ''International Biography'', and ''Women of Achievement in Maryland History''.
In December 2005, the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
voted to name the post office at 1826 Pennsylvania Avenue in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, in Lee's honor. The legislation was sponsored by Representative
Elijah Cummings
Elijah Eugene Cummings (January 18, 1951October 17, 2019) was an American politician and civil rights advocate who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1996 until his death in 2019, when he was succeeded by his predecess ...
, who credited Lee with getting him started in politics.
Lee attended the dedication ceremony in June 2006.
Her papers are stored in the Thurgood Marshall Law Library at the
University of Maryland School of Law
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (formerly University of Maryland School of Law) is the law school of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is located in Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S. Its location places Maryland ...
.
Personal life
In 1937 she married Robert Lee, a Baltimore businessman.
Her husband died circa 1965.
After leaving public office, Lee was active in many civic and cultural organizations, including the Monumental City Bar Association, the Maryland League of Women's Clubs, the DuBois Circle, the
Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church
Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church and Community House is a historic United Methodist church located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is an 1898 Gothic Revival stone structure of massive proportions. It features sharply pitc ...
, the Herbert M. Frisby Historical Society, and the Madison Park Improvement Association.
She died on August 24, 2006, at her home in Baltimore.
References
External links
Lena K. Lee 1966 campaign posterPhotos of Lena K. Lee at GettyImages.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Lena King
1906 births
2006 deaths
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania alumni
Morgan State University alumni
New York University alumni
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law alumni
People from Sumter County, Alabama
Lawyers from Baltimore
Politicians from Baltimore
Women state legislators in Maryland
Members of the Maryland House of Delegates
American centenarians
National Bar Association
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American women politicians
Women centenarians
21st-century American women