Arenia Mallory
Encyclopedia
Arenia Mallory was a religious grade- and high-school founder and advocate for civil rights and the poor in Holmes County, Mississippi
.
Mallory was born in Jacksonville, Illinois
. She received a bachelor’s degree from Simmons College of Kentucky
(1927), a master’s degree from Jackson State University
, and a master’s degree University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(1950). Mallory’s best-known role was the founder and head of Saints Industrial and Literary School, a private secondary school for students grades one through twelve. in Lexington, Mississippi. The school was renamed and is currently called the Saints Academy. She was president of the school from 1926 to 1983. It is run under the Church of God in Christ
. Mallory was an active member of the church and participated in the Women’s Department and was the leader in the national church. From 1952 to 1955, she was on the board of directors of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership
, a pro self-help, civil rights organization led by Dr. T.R.M. Howard of Mound Bayou, Mississippi
.
Mallory also was an advocate for the provision of health and welfare for sharecroppers in Holmes County, Mississippi
. She was instrumental in orchestrating several programs in the county to raise money, books, and clothing for her students. In 1934, Mallory hosted the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha
Mississippi Health Project. The sorority consisted of rural teachers in neighboring counties. Additionally, she was an advocate for black and women’s rights. She was a member of the National Council of Negro Women
. She served as the Vice President of this group from 1953 to 1957. She was a consultant for the U.S. Department of Labor (1963) and the first woman and first African American elected to the Holmes County Board of Education
.
Mallory has two facilities named after her: the Arenia C. Mallory Community Health Center in Lexington, Mississippi
, and the Arenia Mallory School of Religion in Miami, Florida
.
Holmes County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Hillside National Wildlife Refuge *Mathews Brake National Wildlife Refuge *Morgan Brake National Wildlife Refuge*Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:...
.
Mallory was born in Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,940 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County....
. She received a bachelor’s degree from Simmons College of Kentucky
Simmons College of Kentucky
Simmons College of Kentucky, also referred to as Simmons College and Simmons Bible College, is a private, co-educational college located in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1879, Simmons College is a historically black college...
(1927), a master’s degree from Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...
, and a master’s degree University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
(1950). Mallory’s best-known role was the founder and head of Saints Industrial and Literary School, a private secondary school for students grades one through twelve. in Lexington, Mississippi. The school was renamed and is currently called the Saints Academy. She was president of the school from 1926 to 1983. It is run under the Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
. Mallory was an active member of the church and participated in the Women’s Department and was the leader in the national church. From 1952 to 1955, she was on the board of directors of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership
Regional Council of Negro Leadership
The Regional Council of Negro Leadership was a society in Mississippi founded by T. R. M. Howard in 1951 to promote a program of civil rights, self-help, and business ownership...
, a pro self-help, civil rights organization led by Dr. T.R.M. Howard of Mound Bayou, Mississippi
Mound Bayou, Mississippi
Mound Bayou is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi. The population was 2,102 at the 2000 census. It is notable for having been founded as an independent black community in 1887 by former slaves led by Isaiah Montgomery. By percentage, its 98.4 percent African-American majority population is one...
.
Mallory also was an advocate for the provision of health and welfare for sharecroppers in Holmes County, Mississippi
Holmes County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Hillside National Wildlife Refuge *Mathews Brake National Wildlife Refuge *Morgan Brake National Wildlife Refuge*Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:...
. She was instrumental in orchestrating several programs in the county to raise money, books, and clothing for her students. In 1934, Mallory hosted the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
Mississippi Health Project. The sorority consisted of rural teachers in neighboring counties. Additionally, she was an advocate for black and women’s rights. She was a member of the National Council of Negro Women
National Council of Negro Women
The National Council of Negro Women is a non-profit organization with the mission to advance the opportunities and the quality of life for African American women, their families and communities. NCNW fulfills this mission through research, advocacy, national and community based services and...
. She served as the Vice President of this group from 1953 to 1957. She was a consultant for the U.S. Department of Labor (1963) and the first woman and first African American elected to the Holmes County Board of Education
Holmes County School District (Mississippi)
The Holmes County School District is a public school district based in Lexington, Mississippi . The district covers most of Holmes County, although a portion of Durant is served by the Durant Public School District.-Schools:...
.
Mallory has two facilities named after her: the Arenia C. Mallory Community Health Center in Lexington, Mississippi
Lexington, Mississippi
Lexington is a city in Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Holmes County.-Geography:Lexington is located at ....
, and the Arenia Mallory School of Religion in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.