Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club Papers

The Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club was formed in 1916 under the direction of Jeannette Cox, wife of Avery Normal Institute principal Benjamin Cox. The club consisted of nineteen women members meeting to discuss literary works by such authors as W.E.B DuBois, Carter G. Woodson and others. The club women also helped fulfill their mission to “lift as we climb” by taking an active role in Charleston’s African American community by donating funds to such organizations as the YWCA, NAACP, Avery Normal Institute, and the Jenkins Orphanage, and the Fairwold Home for Neglected Colored Girls, Cayce, SC. The organization also sponsored lectures, art shows, musical offerings and staged plays. The club is still active. The collection contains minutes, literary productions, correspondence, printed materials, and financial records (1916-2011) document the history of the Phillis Wheatley Literary and Social Club. The records are arranged in two series.

This collection was digitized and made freely available online through the generous support of Pivotal Ventures and the Digital Public Library of America.