8-Steptima Poinsette Clark's Influence On African America

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8-Steptima Poinsette Clark-Born on May 3rd,1898 in Charleston,South Carolina,Steptima is another african american woman who helped African american get the rights to vote. Her father had been born a slave. Both of her parent heavely encouraged her to get a good eduation. After attending public shool,she attended Avery Normal Institude,a private school for african americans. She tried to be a teacher,but since Charleston did not hire african americans to teach it`s public schools,so instead she became a teacher at South Carolina`s Johns Island in 1916. In 1919,she returned to Charleston to teach at Avery Institude. She joined the NAACP trying to get afriacan american teachers hierd in the city. After getting signatures in her favor,she helped …show more content…

Unfortionaly,in 1956,South Carolina made it illegal for public employees to belong to a civil rights groups. She refused to leave the NAACP and lost her job. But,this still didnt stop her,after this,she was hierd by Tennessee`s Highlander Folk School,an intitution that supported intergration and the civil rights movement. She had participated in and led workshops there during breaks from school. Rosa Parks even attended one in 1955. Soon,she was directing Highlander`s citizenship school program. These schools helped regular people learn to instruct others in their communities in basic math. This teaching helped more people be able to register to vote,especially since at this time,many states used literacy test to disenfranchise african americans. In 1961,the Southern Christian Ledership Conference took over this project. Clark then joined the SCLC as the education and teaching director. Under her leadership,over 800 citizenship schools were created.She retierd in 1970. Her hard work didnt go unoticed though,1979,Jimmy Carter honored her with a Living Legacy Award. Additionaly, in 1982,she recieved Order Of the Palmetto,South Carolina`s highest civilian