Mabel Hampton

Mabel Hampton (May 2, 1902 – October 26, 1989) was an American lesbian activist, a dancer during the Harlem Renaissance, and a volunteer for both Black and lesbian/gay organizations. She was a significant contributor to the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

Early life

Hampton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on May 2, 1902. Her mother died when she was two months old from poison; she was raised for seven years by her maternal grandmother. After her grandmother died from a stroke, Hampton, at age 7, boarded a train to New York City. She lived there with her aunt and uncle for a short time. However, Hampton received poor treatment from this side of her family, including being sexually assaulted by her uncle. She ran away after a year, and lived with a white family in New Jersey from ages 8 to 17. and was sentenced by corrupt Judge Jean Hortense Norris to time in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women.

Later life and career

In the 1920s, Hampton danced in exclusively Black productions alongside Harlem Renaissance stars such as Gladys Bentley. She performed at The Garden of Joy club and sang in the Lafayette Theatre Chorus.

Hampton then participated in the New York City Defense Recreation Committee in 1943, collecting cigarettes and other items for American World War II soldiers. She was also named the grand marshal for the New York City Gay Pride March in 1985. The same year, she received a lifetime achievement award from the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays.

Hampton donated memorabilia, ephemera, letters, academic publications, documentary records, and lesbian pulp fiction which she had collected throughout her career to the Lesbian Herstory Archives in 1976.