Joanna Mary Berry Shields
Encyclopedia
Joanna Mary Berry Shields (July 7, 1884 - February 2, 1965) was one of the seven members of the sophomore class of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African American women. She created a legacy that has continued to generate social capital for nearly 100 years.
Joanna Shields served as an educator for more than 20 years, both in the South, where need was especially critical, and in New York City
, where African American migration had created a new community.
In addition, Shields was a leader in civic activities, where her years of accomplishments caused her to be chosen for the New York Mayor's Committee on Human Rights and the Consumers Protective Committee. In her life, Shields demonstrated how African American sororities supported women "to create spheres of influence, authority and power within institutions that traditionally have allowed African Americans and women little formal authority and real power."
to Charles and Carrie Lucas Berry. Growing up, Berry attended private schools in Prince William County. At Manassas Industrial School in Manassas, Virginia
, she graduated with high honors. She attended Howard University
's preparatory school in 1901, where she gained a high school education.
In those years, only 1/3 of 1% of African Americans and 5% of whites attended any college, and Howard University was considered the top historically black college. At Howard University, Joanna earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree cum laude in social science and mathematics
.
When Berry relocated to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
in 1922, she revived her connection to Alpha Kappa Alpha, by joining Phi Omega, a local graduate chapter. She also volunteered in youth activity through Alpha Kappa Alpha.
She was a chapter delegate to the 1935 Richmond Boulé and received a special diamond
pin for founding Alpha Kappa Alpha. After moving to New York in 1937, Shields was a member with Tau Omega in New York City
until her death. She also kept in contact with fellow founder Lavinia Norman
.
In 1911, Berry moved to North Carolina
, where she taught at Slater Normal School, creating generations of teachers, one of the most critical and prestigious professions in the South. Later the school expanded its curriculum to become a full university, now called Winston-Salem State University
.
Berry met her husband, Samuel J. Shields, in New York City
in 1913. They had six children together. The Shields family moved to South Carolina
.
There Joanna Shields worked as an educator at Central School in Darlington
. In 1920, with financial support of the Rosenwald Fund, she increased the school year for African-American children from three to six months.
Two years later, Shields and her family moved back to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Shields began to participate more in civic and religious activities. She was secretary at the Wentz Memorial Church and worked with the church's nursery school.
In 1937 Shields and her family returned to New York City
. There Shields taught English
at Christopher Columbus
High School in the Bronx until 1943.
Shields also was active in community groups, such as the Harlem
YMCA
, NAACP, Negro History Club, and the National Council of Negro Women
. She was instrumental as an advocate for consumers and senior citizen
's rights by serving on the Mayor's Committee on Human Rights and the Consumers Protective Committee. She worked in the voter's registration movement.
She volunteered to care for the sick and ill by visiting hospitals and sewing
. She died on February 2, 1965, in New York City.
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...
Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African American women. She created a legacy that has continued to generate social capital for nearly 100 years.
Joanna Shields served as an educator for more than 20 years, both in the South, where need was especially critical, and in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where African American migration had created a new community.
In addition, Shields was a leader in civic activities, where her years of accomplishments caused her to be chosen for the New York Mayor's Committee on Human Rights and the Consumers Protective Committee. In her life, Shields demonstrated how African American sororities supported women "to create spheres of influence, authority and power within institutions that traditionally have allowed African Americans and women little formal authority and real power."
Early life and education
Joanna was born in Catharpin, VirginiaCatharpin, Virginia
Catharpin is an unincorporated community in Prince William County, Virginia, in the United States. Catharpin lies on State Route 234 to the northwest of Manassas National Battlefield Park.-Geography:...
to Charles and Carrie Lucas Berry. Growing up, Berry attended private schools in Prince William County. At Manassas Industrial School in Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
, she graduated with high honors. She attended Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
's preparatory school in 1901, where she gained a high school education.
In those years, only 1/3 of 1% of African Americans and 5% of whites attended any college, and Howard University was considered the top historically black college. At Howard University, Joanna earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree cum laude in social science and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
.
Founding Alpha Kappa Alpha
Berry was one of nine women who founded Alpha Kappa Alpha on January 15, 1908. She was the custodian of the chapter's records in 1909. After graduation, Joanna Shields was minimally involved for years in Alpha Kappa Alpha activities.When Berry relocated to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1922, she revived her connection to Alpha Kappa Alpha, by joining Phi Omega, a local graduate chapter. She also volunteered in youth activity through Alpha Kappa Alpha.
She was a chapter delegate to the 1935 Richmond Boulé and received a special diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
pin for founding Alpha Kappa Alpha. After moving to New York in 1937, Shields was a member with Tau Omega in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
until her death. She also kept in contact with fellow founder Lavinia Norman
Lavinia Norman
Lavinia Norman was one of the sixteen original founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African American women, at Howard University. She was one of a small minority of women who attended college at all...
.
Teaching and civic leadership
After earning her degree, Berry returned to Virginia and taught at her old school, Manassas Institute.In 1911, Berry moved to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where she taught at Slater Normal School, creating generations of teachers, one of the most critical and prestigious professions in the South. Later the school expanded its curriculum to become a full university, now called Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University , a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a historically black public research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.Winston-Salem State has been...
.
Berry met her husband, Samuel J. Shields, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1913. They had six children together. The Shields family moved to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
There Joanna Shields worked as an educator at Central School in Darlington
Darlington, South Carolina
Darlington is a city in and the county seat of Darlington County, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a center for tobacco farming. The population was 6,720 at the 2000 census and is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In 1920, with financial support of the Rosenwald Fund, she increased the school year for African-American children from three to six months.
Two years later, Shields and her family moved back to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Shields began to participate more in civic and religious activities. She was secretary at the Wentz Memorial Church and worked with the church's nursery school.
In 1937 Shields and her family returned to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. There Shields taught English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
at Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
High School in the Bronx until 1943.
Shields also was active in community groups, such as the Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, NAACP, Negro History Club, and 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 was instrumental as an advocate for consumers and senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
's rights by serving on the Mayor's Committee on Human Rights and the Consumers Protective Committee. She worked in the voter's registration movement.
She volunteered to care for the sick and ill by visiting hospitals and sewing
Sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
. She died on February 2, 1965, in New York City.