Margaret Gregory Hawkins

Margaret Briggs Gregory Hawkins (August 5, 1877 – April 8, 1969), worked as a schoolteacher and later became known for her activism on behalf of African Americans and women. She was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2021.

Biography Margaret Briggs Gregory was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the third child of Professor James Monroe Gregory and Fannie Emma Whiting Hagan.

National Association of Colored Women

The AFRO League held various names due to groups flooded together, one of them being the National Association of Colored Women which became the largest federation of African American women's clubs. The group began in 1896 by Mary Church Terrell and she endorsed the women's suffrage movement. The motto they followed read, "Lifting as We Climb" and it served as a daily reminder for each of the members and brought a sense of community among the group. They encouraged the members to "uplift" and support their fellow African Americans as they fought their way to equality and a multitude of opportunities.

African Americans and their fight for suffrage wanted more than just the right to vote. The National Association of Colored Women advocated for a wide scope of equality and topics to help improve the quality of life for all African Americans. Due to the Jim Crow laws in the South, people became segregated due to their skin color. This led to fewer opportunities for students in schools, adults in the workplace, and general function of life. This caused many major suffrage groups such as The National American Suffrage Association to remain segregated and exclude women of color. Some local religious spaces activists that Hawkins and her colleagues Chissell and Young met included Sharp Street Methodist, Union Baptist, and Grace Presbyterian Church. From this group which were founded by Hawkins, Chissell, and Young, sprang its parent group titled National Association of Colored Women which met primarily in Baltimore. The General Federation of Women's Citizenship acted as a large umbrella which housed thousands of women's suffrage clubs throughout the country.

The Progressive Women's Suffrage Club began in Baltimore in 1915 by Estelle Hall Young and it worked to promote women's suffrage and other major civil rights matters. The group used persuasion and education to make a stance throughout history on major political and social issues. She was known for opening her door to any meeting needed by the club and worked hard to promote the need for education and knowledge. Through her educational experience, she emphasized the full benefits of citizenship, community improvement, and a public voice. These meetings became known as "Citizenship Meetings".