Enolia McMillian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of theNAACP | |
| In office 1984–1990 | |
| Preceded by | James Kemp |
| Succeeded by | Hazel Dukes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Enolia Virginia Pettigen (1904-10-20)October 20, 1904 Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 2006(2006-10-24) (aged 102) Stevenson, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Howard University (BA) Columbia University (MEd) |
Enolia Pettigen McMillan (October 20, 1904 – October 24, 2006) was an Americaneducator,civil rights activist, andcommunity leader. She was the first female national president of theNAACP.
BornEnolia Virginia Pettigen inWillow Grove, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Elizabeth Fortune Pettigen and John Pettigen, the latter a formerslave. When she was eight years old, the family moved toMaryland in search of improved educational opportunities.[1] Enolia Pettigen attendedFrederick Douglass High School inBaltimore,Maryland and laterHoward University inWashington, D.C., with the help of a scholarship fromAlpha Kappa Alpha. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in education in 1926.[1]
McMillan earned amaster's degree in 1933 fromColumbia University. During her masters education, she began to question the Maryland public education system and used the topic for her master'sthesis entitledSome Factors Affecting Secondary Education for Negroes in Maryland Counties (Excluding Baltimore). The thesis attacked Maryland's racistsegregated school system in the 1930s. She found that the system provided unequal school terms, salary scales and curricula.
McMillan became a teacher in 1927 inCaroline County, Maryland teaching atDenton High School. In 1928, she became a principal in Charles County.[1] She became president of the Maryland State Colored Teachers' Association and regional vice-president of the National Association of Colored Teachers. After the 1954Brown v. Board of Education ruling outlawing segregated public schools, she was one of the first black teachers at a white school.[2]
She retired from teaching in 1968. In 1969, she defeatedJuanita Mitchell to become president of the Baltimore branch of theNAACP. During her presidency, the National Office was threatened with bankruptcy in 1976 due to legal proceedings against it in connection with a 1966boycott of white merchants inPort Gibson, Mississippi. She launched a fundraising drive to help defray expenses, and her efforts resulted in the Baltimore branch raising the largest local contribution of $150,000.[1]
In 1984, she became the first woman to be elected national president of the NAACP, and she held the position until 1990. The role at the time was largely ceremonial, but McMillan had considerable influence on the organization's policies and operations. Along with former NAACP Executive DirectorBenjamin Hooks, she is credited with organizing the organization's move from New York to Baltimore in 1986.[1]
McMilllan was an outspoken critic of theReagan Administration, which she felt harmed the NAACP's advocacy efforts in housing, education, employment and business.[3] During her tenure, she also helped black businesses to receive federal contracts, and, in 1985, led a protest in Washington againstSouth Africa's apartheid system.[2]
In 1941, she was photographed among delegates at the first state convention of the Maryland NAACP.[4] In 1975, she was named the first female chair of the board of regents atMorgan State University.[2]
On December 26, 1935, Enolia Pettigen married Betha D. McMillan. They had a son, Betha McMillan Jr., in 1940.[1] She died October 24, 2006, inStevenson, Maryland fromheart failure just four days after celebrating her 102nd birthday. She is buried at King Memorial Park in Baltimore.[5]
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